The Aftermath
by HerschelX
Summary: what if Peeta and Katniss HAD quieted down the rebelion on tour? Peeta x Katniss
1. Chapter 1

This is a story of Peeta and Katniss's life after the Victory tour. However these are all as if Katniss and Peeta had succeeded in stopping the rebellions. Please don't yell at me if you think this is too similar to HalfHope's "I Do" it is a wonderful story that I have no intention of ripping off.

This starts off right at the moment on stage where Pres. Snow shakes his head no in the book. This is as if I shook his head yes.

Declaimer: I own none of these characters or any part of the hunger games

Ch1:

Katniss's POV

President Snow Nods his head while giving me one of the firs genuine smiles I have seen him give. The smile is actually a little creepy. I don't know what to think of it, but the most obvious answer is that I succeeded. I convinced all of Panem that I defied the capitol out of love for Peeta, not out of rebellion. We have quieted down the rebellions. We are safe.

After Katniss's Wedding Photo Shoot

In a few days I will be marrying Peeta Mellark. I never really thought that I would live long enough for the wedding to happen. But I've just finished my wedding shoot and the wedding is next Thursday. I honestly don't know how I feel about it yet.

"Katniss! Katniss!" Prim yells as she runs through the door. "The teacher said that there's mandatory viewing tonight! Rory thinks it's your photo shoot!"

"That can't be it Prim, they only did the pictures yesterday."

"Well that's what Rory said." Prim mumbles back at me.

At the scheduled time, we turn on or television to see what Panem will throw at us. It turns out Prim wasn't wrong. On stage is Ceaser Flickerman, in his twinkling suit and powder blue hair, introducing the photo shoot. My wedding dress was a big deal in the Capitol. They voted on which one I will wear based on Cina's designs and the shots of me in the final ones where what they would base their final votes on. The winning dress was the one that was strewn with diamonds.

Ceaser tells us that due to difficulties determining the legality of this year's Quarter Quell, The reading of the card will be postponed until the week before the Quell. We turn off our television and my mother and Prim tell me that they are going to bed and as they get up from their seats they chatter happily about the winning dress. I tell them that I'm going on a walk as they head upstairs.

I feel the cool night air on my skin and I realize that I'm only wearing my nightgown. I'm about to go in to change when I hear Peeta.

"Katniss?" I'm relieved to see I wasn't the only one who didn't think to change out of their night clothes. Peeta is only in sweat pants and his undershirt.

"Hi Peeta. " I say. I giggle a little. "Nice outfit by the way." He looks at his clothes and laughs.

"I was about to tell you the same thing." He says, still laughing a bit. I blush, which just makes Peeta laugh harder.

"So you needed some air to huh?" He asks.

"Yah." I say in a quiet voice. I walk out towards him.

"About Thursday?" He asks. I stay silent and just start walking. He walks with me and for a while, that's all we do. I don't realize it till we're there, but we have walked right to the school yard. I look down to avoid Peeta's eyes. It doesn't help, because my eyes land right on a dandelion.

"I'm sorry Katniss." I am surprised at his words. I look up at him with a puzzled look on my face. "That it's come to this" He explains. I realize that he is referring to the wedding and it feels like I've been punched in the gut. "I know this isn't what you wanted Katniss, I know that Gale…" at this comment I start. I look at him hard.

"Peeta. If I was in this situation with Gale it wouldn't change how I felt about the wedding. I am afraid of marriage, not of marrying you." He looks me right in the eyes, trying to see if I'm joking. He leans in and before I realize what is happening, so am I. As our lips touch, I am consumed by that feeling I had back in the arena, in the cave. And this time, there is no head wound to interrupt us. It feels so right, kissing Peeta. I remember that kiss with Gale. It didn't feel anything like this. So heated, so…so…perfect. Just as my hands wrap around Peeta's neck, a cough breaks us apart. Right in front of us, stands Gale.

_**Ok so if you think this story is worth continuing please review! I crave your ideas. Hey guys I postponed the reading of the card for you. I need some ideas for the Quell.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ok I promise that this chapter will be longer then the last one. Please review my story. **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Gale's POV:

Seeing Katniss in all of those wedding dresses was really hard on me. It's the lock that will forever prevent her from being mine. As I walk through town, I think long and hard about what I should do. I still want to be Katniss's friend, but seeing her every day and knowing I don't have a chance would be too painful for me. But I know that going separate ways would hurt her. That's the last thing I want.

I start to wonder if her relationship with Peeta really is just for the cameras. I've seen them. Even without cameras around, they still talk, they still laugh, and they are still around each other most of the day. This thought brings on a jealousy that I didn't think myself capable of. I was jealous enough when I thought it was just for the cameras that she would be his. But if she really was his…I wouldn't be able to see her anymore. It would just hurt too much. I decide I'll ask her about it tomorrow. With her wedding only days away, she has to give me a straight answer.

At this moment, in the middle of my thoughts, I hear a voice, Katniss's voice! I could just talk to her about it now. It would be easier to get an answer out of her while she's tired. I'm about to walk toward the voice, when I hear another. The voice belongs to _him._ So now they're taking walks at night? My hopes that it's all for the cameras are growing smaller by the second.

I walk out of the bushes and am temporarily surprised that I'm standing in the school yard. However, my attention quickly switches to the fact that Katniss is practically wrapped around Peeta in a kiss. I am stunned. I think how halfhearted our kiss in the woods was compared to this. I cough, forgetting that they don't know I'm here, and quickly regret it.

Katniss's POV:

"Gale!" I don't know what angers me more, the fact that Gale interrupted the Kiss, or the fact that he's been spying on us for who knows how long. I'm speechless, and apparently so is Peeta, so we both just wait for Gale to say something.

"Hey Catnip" He says in a quiet voice. We all just stare at one another. "I – I'm sorry" It seems like he can barely manage to get this one sentence out. And he should be sorry. We are best friends! I don't know what could've made him think this was ok. We're all at a loss for words. I grab Peeta's hand and run back towards the Victor's Village. When I'm entirely sure that Gale hasn't followed us, I slow down and release Peeta's hand.

"Katniss… I'm sorry" Peeta says. "I shouldn't have…

"Don't be" I cut him off "it wasn't your fault." I don't allow Peeta anytime to digest what I'm saying before a walk out the door with a barely audible "Good night."

I close the door to my house quietly behind me remembering that my mother and Prim are still asleep, but then I realize that it's pointless. I can see the sun rising out the windows; I hadn't realized how long I had been out. Then I remember the date. It's Tuesday, today is the day that Peeta and I will be flown to the capitol. Of course our families will be coming to, and since the entire country outside of district 12 thinks Gale is my cousin, he and his family will be going to. However, the families won't be flown in till the actual day of the wedding. Peeta and I are going early to learn the traditions of a capitol-style wedding.

I go up to my room for a shower. I still haven't gotten completely used to having hot water and daily bathing yet, but I have to admit that it's nice. As I step out of the shower, I hear voices downstairs. Of course there are the voices of my mother and Prim, but there are other voices. Cina and my prep team have arrived. I had forgotten that the trip to the capital is being televised. Other than the Hunger Games, my wedding is probably the most important televised event of the year in the capital.

I don't bother putting clothes on since my prep team will just have me strip down. I just wait for my mother to yell up to see if I'm awake then tell her to send my team up.

"Katniss! Did you let your eyebrows grow out again?" shrieks Octavia. I laugh and apologize for how much I've let my beauty deteriorate. My prep team hasn't changed a bit. At least, not personality wise, but their physical appearance has obvious differences. Octavia has dyed her skin to a light shade of purple as opposed to her usual pea green shade. Venia had grown her aqua hair out in a way so it falls to her shoulders in waves and the golden tattoos that were once restricted under her eyes now wind in intricate swirls all around her face and down her neck. Flauvius has changed least of all. In fact, other than the fact that he has switched to a dark blue lipstick, there is no noticeable difference.

They have been instructed to only do my nails and makeup. They were to leave my hair for Cina. As we go through the normal routine, I listen to my prep team babble about how exited they are. I have been there ticket to big parties since I won the games, but now I have become their ticket to the biggest event of the year. I have never seen them so happy.

When they are done they leave the room, and almost immediately, Cina walks in. He has me change into a light orange dress strung with miniature yellow flowers that falls to my knees. It appears that I still need to look as girlish as possible for a precaution. To finish the dress off, Cina ties a glittering gold sash around my waist and ties it in a bow at my right hip. All I can think of is how much Peeta will love the color.

"So are you ok?" Cina asks me. "With marrying Peeta?" I have to think about it. Ever since that night, I've been thinking about it actually. I smile.

"Yes" I say. "In fact, I'm genuinely happy about it." Cina smiles back at me, but raises his eyebrows in a way that suggests that he has a pretty good idea that something happened. Cina moves on to my hair. He combs it straight out but with a small braid at the bottom holding it in the shape. He then places a golden headband on my head. The final touch is fixing the mockingjay pin to my sash in the center of the bow. I look beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Cina asks me.

"I love it." I say with a laugh. "Why flowers?" I ask.

"We're going to try to work them into all of your outfits up to the wedding. " He says. "They're primroses. It's the flower that your bouquet will be made of. Your mother suggested them." I smile. Primrose, the flower my little sister was named for. It's perfect.

There's a knock on the door.

"Kaaaaatniiiiiiis?" I immediately recognize the chirp of Effie Trinket's voice. "Are you ready yet? We need to film you and Peeta getting on the hovercraft. You have a half hour."

"Do I have time to go see Peeta?" I ask Cina.

"Go for it." He replies. I walk downstairs, ignoring my mother and Prim staring at my dress.

I knock on Peeta's door and Portia, Peeta's stylist, answers the door. She lets me in and tells me that Peeta will be down in a second. She also warns me not to crush the flowers on my dress as she goes upstairs to get Peeta. Peeta walks down a few minutes later. He sees my dress and seems to lose the ability to speak. A smile crosses my lips. Peeta is looking very handsome in a white collared shirt with golden swirls running across it. He is also wearing dark pants with brown slip-on shoes. I walk up to him and brush the blonde curls out of his eyes and kiss him before he can question me.

"That's your proof that you don't need to be sorry." I say "Come on, Effie's waiting for us."

_**Sooooo? What did you think? I'm sorry that the first chapter was so short :P I promise that the others will be closer to the length of this one. Or maybe a bit longer if you want.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ok so here's your next chapter! Big Thank You to My First Reviewers! Remember your thoughts are appreciated and wanted! Oh and I did notice a few tiny grammar errors in my other chapters. I'll be more careful in the future chapters.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing**_

_**Chapter 3:**_

Peeta's POV

Katniss grabs my hand with a slight giggle as she pulse me out the door. A giggle? That doesn't sound like Katniss. She was never happy about getting married, right? Then it occurs to me that she might have become genuinely happy at the idea. This thought makes me smile. As she pulls me across the Victor's Village, I can't help but stare at her dress, Orange, and dotted with tiny primroses. It's the exact shade I described to her as my favorite color on the victory tour.

We arrive at Katniss's house just as Effie is ushering everyone onto the hovercraft.

"There you are!" Trills Effie. "We were getting worried! Well then up you go!" Effie literally pushes us onto the ladder to the hovercraft. The ladder pulls us in, and we're on our way to the Capitol.

Katniss's POV

Peeta and I sit facing one another in two plush chairs on the hovercraft. We have been given our own hovercraft; for privacy Effie said. Not that I'm complaining. I like being alone. There isn't even a pilot. Effie told us that the hovercraft is on autopilot and not to touch it.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks. "Are you happy? I mean, with the wedding?" I laugh. Peeta can be so insecure sometimes. I don't answer; instead I muster up the most mischievous grin I can, and pounce on Peeta. "Katniss I'm seri-"That's all Peeta can get out. I'm kissing him, and he keeps trying to get out his sentence. It's just like the first time we kissed. The only difference is that, when I kissed him mid sentence back in the cave, I didn't mean it romantically. Just like that first kiss, Peeta eventually gives up on finishing his sentence. I don't know exactly how long we kiss, but we only stop because we need air. I look down at my dress. I'm glad I was on top of him; otherwise the little primroses would be crushed by Peeta. I make a mental note to have Cina incorporate the flowers in a way where they'll be a bit less…exposed to the elements. I see Peeta leaning in for another kiss, I smile and start leaning in. Then we hear a knock on the door.

"Kaaaatnisssss! Peeeetaaaaa!" It's Effie. I hadn't even realized that we landed. I get off of Peeta and do my best to straighten my sash as we walk out the door. Instantly there are cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions up at us on the platform. I feel Effie grab my arm and lead us to a podium. She tells us that we will be doing a quick Q&A panel for the reporters. I tell Peeta that he can choose the first reporter.

The first reporter calls out. "Katniss Katniss! What are your thoughts on the winning dress?" It takes me a second to realize that he is referring to my wedding dress.

"Oh! Well I am really happy with it actually. It was defiantly one of my favorite choices." I point to the next reporter.

"Peeta!" The woman shouts over the crowd. "What are you and Katniss planning on doing for the honeymoon?" This takes us aback. Peeta raises his eyebrows at me and I realize, we had never talked about this at all. Seeing this, Effie rushes up and takes the microphone from Peeta.

"The honeymoon arrangements are being taken care of by the president." Effie says calmly into the microphone. I look at Peeta. The look on his face shows that he knew as little about this as I did. We ignore it and move on to the next reporter.

"Katniss! Peeta! How soon after the wedding are you planning on having children?" This question makes me freeze. Peeta is waving his hand in front of my face, trying to get me refocused. All I can do Is stare into space, Imagining Peeta and I having children, the way they would live in constant fear of the games. They would have a worse chance, being the children of not one but two victors.

Peeta tells the reporters that Effie needs us for preparations and scoops me up. Sometime in-between being picked up and getting to the training center, we will be staying there during our stay, I start staring at Peeta's eyelashes. To this day it captivates me how blonde they are.

Peeta sets me down on our bed in the training center.

"Katniss? Kaaatniis? Peeta is waving his hand in front of my face. I finally say something. Or at least try to; my words come out in chocked sobs. The next thing I know, Peeta is holding me and rubbing my back, allowing me to cry into the shoulder of the shirt that Portia designed for him. I pull him out to arms length and pull him back in for a kiss. I put all of my energy from frustration and miseries into the kiss, Letting Peeta take the worries away. We break apart when we hear Effie banging on the door.

"Peeta, is Katniss ok? We need you two for your interview." That's right. Tonight is our pre-marriage interview with Ceaser Flickerman. We stand up and just look at each other for a while. Peeta slips his hand into mine, and we walk out to meet Effie.

Since I was already prepped this morning, all that needs adjusting is my hair and makeup. Makeup tonight is pretty standard and my hair hangs completely loose falling down to the small of my back. I always braid it so I never noticed how long it has gotten. Cina slips a floor length dress over my shoulders. This one is a deep purple and is lined with primrose designs. I'm thankful that this dress doesn't incorporate _actual _primroses. A thin pink ribbon is tied around my waist. It is tied in a way so that the ends of the bow are long enough to touch the ground. My mockingjay is fixed to the center of the bow.

"You…you look…beautiful." I didn't even notice Peeta in the doorway. He is wearing a shirt of the same color as my dress and black pants. What sticks out to me though, is the flower in his button hole. It's the flower of the Katniss root.

"A Katniss flower." I say quietly. Before I realize what I am doing, I have crossed over to Peeta to get a closer look at the flower.

"Cina thought that I should wear it." Explains Peeta. He offers me the crook of his arm and I don't hesitate to put mine through it. We arrive on the stage with just enough time to say hello to Ceaser and sit down on the bright orange couch, before the cameras are rolling.

Peeta and Ceaser start off with that usual banter that they've had since our first hunger games. Then the questions start.

"Sooo Peeta" begins Ceaser. "Any big plans for when you return to district twelve?"

"Well we'll of course have the toasting." Says Peeta. He then briefly describes our districts wedding ritual. The questions bounce around between Peeta and I for about an hour, when Ceaser asks a question that I'm sure nobody expected

"Uhhh, Peeta…why exactly are you wearing lipstick?" Peeta turns bright red and runs his arm across his lips. I Turn just as red when I remember, it's because of me. I remember how many times I've kissed Peeta today. All I can think about is what our families back home will think about this. Ceaser laughs and says goodbye to the audience and thanks us for being on the show.

Back in the room, while Peeta is showering, all I can think about is what I'll say to Gale when he gets here tomorrow for the wedding. I just stare at the TV and think. Suddenly a woman appears on screen. She's telling us that it is time for the Reading of the card for this year's Quarter Quell. I yell to Peeta. He rushes out of the bathroom with soaking wet hair and a towel around his waist. I am temporarily amused by his outfit before I turn back to the screen.

President Snow Sits with the 75 card already in his hands. I slip my hand into Peeta's as he reads. "On the year of the 75th Hunger games, to symbolize that families were pitted against each other in the rebellion, siblings of the reaped children will automatically go into the games with them if they are above the age of 12.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ok new chapter time once again! I know how exited you are! I feel my chapters are too short so I'll make this one a bit longer than usual and see how I like it ok?**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing**_

Katniss's POV

I can feel Peeta's grip tighten. Now we will not only have two mentor two children who will probably be pulverized by careers, we will have to mentor them along with all of their siblings. I remember Rue's sisters all standing on that stage looking up at me on the victory tour. If one of them is chosen as female tribute, then I'll have to watch all of them go into the arena. Or what if Vick is chosen? Or Rory? Then we'll have to mentor Rory, Vick, and…Gale! President Snow said the siblings only have to be above the age of 12! There is now limit on how old siblings can be to enter the arena! I am in shock.

And then there's the idea of how many children might have to enter the arena. When Haymitch went in, there were 48 tributes. But there is no limit to how many siblings can go in. Then I have to think about the career districts. Since it's an honor to win in those districts, a sibling from a large family might volunteer. With two names reaped along with all of their siblings, there could be a total of ten tributes from one district alone!

I haven't noticed Peeta shaking me.

"Katniss, listen! There is more to the card." He's right. President Snow is still talking on the screen.

"After reviewing the legality of the Quell, we have come to the conclusion that we must grant the siblings of victors, immunity from the reaping. Our rules state that victors may not return to the arena, and to keep in this way, this rule is necessary." Explains the president. Prim is safe. She is safe from the certain death that this Quarter Quell promises. At least I can take comfort in this one thought. I turn to Peeta.

"At least Prim is safe." I say with a weak smile. I know this is a somewhat selfish thought, but I needed something happy to find in this situation. At least I don't have to face the faces of these children until the reaping, which thankfully is months away. For now, we should focus on the wedding. The wedding! It's tomorrow! Our families will be flown in, _Gale _will be flown in, and I will become Katniss Mellark.

"Katniss, are you sure you're ok?" Peeta asks in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine," I say. "I just need some sleep is all. Are you ready for bed Peeta?"

"Well sure if you are." He says. "Just let me…uhhhhh…" he gestures at the towel around his waist. "Change?" I laugh.

"Sounds fine to me." I say still laughing. "I still need to change out of my interview dress." We turn away from one another to change. I put on one of my nightgowns and smile when I realize it's the same one I wore on that walk with Peeta. I normally wouldn't wear such a slip of a nightgown, but it's really hot in the Capitol this time of year. I ask Peeta if I can turn around. When he gives me the Ok, I turn around. I blush a little when I realize that he's only wearing a pair of sweat pants. Peeta sees my blush and gets a worried look on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry Katniss. Are you ok with…" He trails off, obviously embarrassed by the question.

"Oh don't worry. I don't mind." I say with a small laugh. I know it's a little mean to tease him, but I can't help it. I cross over to him and put my arms around his neck. "Not- At-All." I say. I muster up a mischievous grin. He laughs at my teasing, I'm glad he didn't take it the wrong way.

"Bed time" He says still grinning at me. I don't know why this statement makes me laugh.

I am wearing the beautiful diamond wedding dress. I'm in the middle of an empty field. All of a sudden, my dress is ripped and torn. I watch as the coal mine explodes, I watch as all of Rue's sisters burn to death. I am in a cage with Peeta. I watch my home district burn to the ground.

I wake in a cold sweat. Peeta is shaking me by the shoulders.

"Katniss! Katniss! Katniss wake up!" He shouts.

"Peeta, Peeta I'm awake." I have to say this a few times before he notices. I realize I'm clinging to Peeta like a life line. I probably have left nail marks in his back. I let go of him and sit up. The full force of the nightmare hits me all at once and I start sobbing. I've started making those terrible choking noises and I feel Peeta's arms wrap around me. I sob into his bare chest until the sun has risen. Once I've calmed down, Peeta kisses me lightly and takes me to breakfast.

Peeta's POV

When we arrive at breakfast, Effie goes into a fit when she sees that Katniss and I are still in our night clothes.

"Peeta! Katniss! What on earth are you wearing? Is that how you intend to meet your families on the day of your wedding? "That's right, the wedding is today. And what was that about our families? "Peeta did you hear me?" Shrieks Effie. "We will be going to meet your families down at the church in a matter of minutes! Now Katniss, you come with me and Peeta, you go with Haymitch. You know its bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!" Effie pulls Katniss down the hall with her to prepare for the wedding. I see her prep team running after them.

"So lover-boy, you nervous yet?" Haymitch says with a laugh. "Not afraid she'll leave you at the altar are you?" Even Haymitch must realize that joke is terrible. I just raise my eyebrows at him as my prep team surrounds me.

Gales POV

Peeta's, Katniss's, and my family are all sitting in the hovercraft to the capitol. I'm sitting in between Prim and Rory. I am worried for my family. Prim doesn't have to be since her sister is a victor. But if Rory or Vick is chosen for the games, then all three of us will be going into the arena. I try not to think about the games. They are months away anyway. But thinking about the present is no better. I am going to the one event that forever steals Katniss away from me.

The hovercraft lands with a thud, we all file out into what looks like a large square in the capitol. I can see the large church in front of us. Our pilot tells us that we won't speak with Katniss or Peeta until after the wedding since they have already arrived and the ceremony will be starting soon. So I follow my family inside. I am certain I'll never have the same relationship with Katniss ever again after this.

Katniss's POV

Venia shakes her aqua hair out of her eyes as she and the other members of my prep team add the final touches to my appearance. With Cinna's help, they slip the gorgeous diamond dress over my body. As Cinna straightens the diamond veil, I start feeling the butterflies in my stomach.

Peeta's POV

I'm standing at the altar waiting for the ceremony to begin. I'm nervous, but not about the actual wedding, about what things will be like afterwards. Sure Katniss has been uncharacteristically flirty lately, but I just attributed that to her nerves about the Quell and the wedding. But now she knows that Prim is safe, and the wedding is here. Will she change her mind afterwards? Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Yah I'm sure that's it. I pull at my bowtie suddenly wondering when it became so hot in here. I see our families in the front row and gulp. I don't have any more time to be nervous, because the music has begun.

Katniss's POV

Haymitch offers me his arm. Since my father is…gone, Haymitch will be giving me away to Peeta.

"Ready Sweet-heart?" I don't have any time to answer. The music has begun, and we have started to walk down the aisle.

Gale's POV

Katniss has started walking down the aisle. The diamond dress has the same effect as her interview dress from the games. It has the illusion of sending tongues of flame up her body, but in silver. Right up to the end, she is still the girl who was on fire. Only now, that girl's last name will be Mellark. And I can't stand it. I turn and look towards Peeta. That doesn't help though. When he sees Katniss, the look of happiness on his face sends that same pang of jealousy through my body that I felt on that night by the school yard. As Katniss steps up to the altar, and Haymitch lets go of her hand, I know things will never be the same between us.

Katniss's POV

I don't pay much attention to what the pasture is saying. All I can think about is how different my life is going to be after this. Finally I hear my cue.

"I Do" I say without really thinking.

"Peeta, you may now kiss your bride." Says the pasture. And then Peeta's kissing me. We stay that way for a while, but that's mainly for the cameras. I enjoy kissing Peeta, but this kiss just doesn't fill me with that need the other ones did. As we pull apart I see happiness in his eyes. It's so genuine, that I can't help but smile back at him. All of my nerves melt away when I see his smile. I don't even look away when I throw my bouquet of multicolored primroses over my shoulder.

At the reception

After thanking everyone; our prep teams, stylists, and Effie. We are about to go and find our families and a most likely drunk Haymitch so we can go back to district 12, when President Snow walks up to us.

"Congratulations Children!" He exclaims. He pulls us both into a group hug, then whispers in our ear, lips covered by my hair. "And more congratulations on stopping the rebellion" He pulls away and smiles. Despite his happy tone, he still looks like a snake to me. At least, as far as I know, I am safe from his anger.

As the president leaves, spot our families trying to lift an unconscious Haymitch off of the floor. Peeta walks over to a struggling Prim and helps her lift, and for old times' sake, I poor a pitcher of cold water on Haymitch's face. He wakes with a start, flailing the knife that isn't there.

We all pile into the hovercraft, waving goodbye at the crowed below. The whole way home, Peeta and I sit awkwardly across from Gale. He's been staring at Peeta for hours. I'm sure the fact that Peeta and I had to share a seat due to lack of room is making this any easier on Gale. Prim and I have tried and failed many times to start conversations between them. We spend the rest of the trip this way.

We land back in district twelve about an hour after Gale stopped his awkward starring contest with Peeta. We are greeted by Madge and her family. They help us bring my things into Peeta's house, that's where we decided to live since Mother and prim were already staying in the other house.

Later that night, Peeta and I lay in bed. Peeta is already asleep, but I can't even close my eyes. I lay awake wondering what my new life will bring.

_**Ok guys remember that I crave your input. And that includes constructive criticism. Yes I know that this story is a bit OOC but I did kind of plan it that way. I'll try not to steer too far off of character though :P a big thank you to MountainAir for telling me that I was spelling Cinna wrong :P I lost my books and thought I was spelling it right before. And yes Prim is safe from the games. Otherwise it would kind of defeat the fact that snow forgave Katniss now wouldn't it**_

_**REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello there readers! Sorry that this update wasn't as frequent as your used to, but now that it's winter break, you should expect about three chapters a week (so I think 2-5 chapters is a reasonable goal) So what I would like to know is what you thought of the format of chapter four. I thought since it was an important event like the wedding, I should skip around and get everyone's thoughts on the wedding. Katniss's fears, Peeta's nerves, Gales jealousy, etc. Well enough chit-chat, here you go!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing**_

_**Chapter 5: **_

Katniss's POV

The next morning, I wake up and Peeta isn't there. I sit up, still groggy with sleep. Something isn't right. I hear a scream, Rory! There's another scream, and another, Vick, Gale! I jump out of bed and run down the stairs. I smell smoke and the walls around me start crumbling. I hear myself scream as the roof falls in.

"Katniss! Katniss please wake up!" I sit up with a jolt. "Katniss, Katniss!" Peeta is shaking me and screaming. I look at him; the look in his eyes is one of extreme worry. "Katniss…are you ok?" He says in a worried tone. "You've been screaming and thrashing in your sleep. More nightmares?" He should already know the answer to that; I'm guessing he does already know. I answer him in a shaky voice.

"Y-Yah…I-I'm fine Peeta." I don't know why I'm not sobbing. My last nightmare wasn't this bad, but I ended up sobbing into Peeta's chest for hours. I get up out of bed and change into a simple blue shirt with black pants; I ignore Peeta's odd look. I thought we should just get used to changing in front of one another, and sooner is better than later. "Are you coming?" I ask over my shoulder at Peeta. "I can't exactly cook and I'm hungry." Peeta laughs and gets up. He slept in his jeans, so all he has to do is pull a dark flannel shirt over his head.

I sit at the table and stare at the patterns in the dark wood. Peeta has to snap in front his fingers in front of my face before I notice the plate piled high with cheese buns that sits in the middle of the table. Peeta sits across from me and helps himself to the bread. I take one and spin it around in my hands.

"What will we do Peeta?" I ask quietly. He looks confused. "How can we mentor so many kids?" He seems to understand what I mean; a worried look crosses his face. I have worried him so often lately; I've probably seen that worried face twenty times these last few days.

"Come on Katniss, don't think about that yet." He says. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it. Let's do something to get your mind off of it ok?" I have to admit, that doesn't sound that bad. I really need something to distract me from my crazy life right now. I just smile and nod in reply. Peeta smiles, and we finish our breakfast in silence.

After breakfast, Peeta tells me his idea.

"You were complaining how you couldn't cook earlier right?" He says. "Well today, I'm going to teach you how to bake!" Peeta beams at me, but I don't know about his plan. I've tried cooking before, but all I managed to do was set the meal on fire. I raise my eyebrows at Peeta, but he doesn't seem to pick up on my hesitation. He just grabs my hand, the smile never leaving his face, and pulls me out the door. He starts pulling me down the road into town, to buy ingredients I'm guessing. My guess was wrong. He pulls me right into the bakery owned by his family. As he pulls me through the front door, he shouts to his brothers.

"Rye! Monrey! Get out here!" He shouts. I've never met his brothers, but I did see them both at the wedding. Even now, I'm not quite prepared for how much they're looks differ from Peeta's. Peeta's oldest brother, Rye, comes out of the kitchen with pink and blue frosting smudging his face. He looks about a head taller than Peeta, with Dark brown hair that falls down to his shoulders. His eye color however, is his one similarity to Peeta. Bright eyes that are so blue, you could swear that they're looking right through you.

"Hey Peeta." He says. He looks at me. "Hey Katniss." He looks around. "Where's Monrey? He was supposed to be running the front counter." As if on cue, the middle Mellark brother pops up from under the counter and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Monrey!" Rye yells.

Monrey is about Peeta's height. He looks like he could be from the seam. Dark hair, gray eyes…the only similarity to Peeta he has is the fact that his hair falls in waves, but his hair falls about down to the middle of his back in a ponytail. Peeta's hair falls down to his shoulders now…what is it with the Mellark boys and long hair? I laugh a little at the thought.

"Whaaat? Whines Monrey, still half asleep.

"Were you sleeping on the job again?" Shouts Rye. An argument breaks out between Peeta's brothers. Every now and then there's some understandable dialog. Like "Nobody was coming in any way!" or "What do I have to do? Hit you over the head?"

"Guys!" Peeta screams. They pause, mid-squabble and stare at us. Rye is the first to compose himself.

"You wanted something?" He says. I look over at Monrey, expecting him to add something. And laugh when I see Rye has tied one of his hands behind his back with the ponytail.

"Yep." Peeta says. The beaming grin he had at breakfast has appeared on his face. "Today, I'm teaching Katniss how to bake, an you two are going to help.

"Well we can help with the basics, but that's probably all we'll have tie for." Says Monrey. He's still struggling to get his hand out of the knot in his hair. "Today we're preparing for the Winter Festival." The winter festival takes place halfway between the Harvest Festival and the Hunger games. Usually, it's just an excuse to take a day out of working in the mines if you can afford it. But since Peeta and I won the games, the capitol will be paying for it, just like the Harvest Festival. It will be a huge event. Important Capitol visitors always visit the winning district's festival so there will be more cameras to home in on Peeta and me.

"We can send you home with some baking ingredients instead if you want." Says Rye. So after learning all about how to properly use a whisk, Peeta and I are walking home with a box of baking supplies.

"We should make something special." Says Peeta. "Since it's your first time baking." I laugh a little.

"Sounds great." I say. That slight smile I had this morning still hasn't left my face. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know." Says Peeta. "Just something that people normally don't see in District 12." I think about it for a second.

"What about that pie we had in the Capitol?" I ask. "That one filled with chocolate and cream?" Peeta smiles.

"Sounds Perfect." He says. When we arrive home, we get started. Peeta shows me how to mix the pie filling while he mixes the whipped cream. I laugh when I see he has some cream on his nose. I reach up to wipe it off. I can't resist laughing at his face when I eat it off my finger. We spend the rest of the day baking the pie. When it's done, it looks even better than when we had it in the Capitol. Peeta says we should save it for the winter festival dinner. I know it's a perfect time to have it, but I have to try hard not to cut a piece now.

Later that night, Peeta and I sit by the fireplace. I am lying on my back, my head in Peeta's lap. Peeta is obviously in deep thought.

"Peeta?" I start. "What are you thinking about?" it takes him a few seconds to answer. And he answers with another question.

"Katniss, do you ever think about having kids?" He asks. Think about it, sure. But is my answer ever yes? No, no it's not. Bringing children into this world is out of the question. President Snow may have given the Victors safety, but their children? No, victor's children have gone into the games before. Unless you are the actual victor, you aren't safe.

"Peeta…" He seems to read my expression.

"I'm sorry Katniss…" He says. He looks so disappointed, but he has to know that any child of ours, is already guaranteed a place in the games the second that they turn twelve.

Gale's POV

It's official now, their relationship is not for the cameras. Yesterday I saw the in the bakery, laughing. That's something I was never able to get Katniss to do. And this morning, the replay of their wedding was on _again._ I saw the look on Katniss's face, and she's no actor. I decided to go for a walk after that. I couldn't take seeing that replay again. Unfortunately, I didn't get out the door before their kiss.

Katniss's POV

This morning, I woke to find, I hadn't had a single nightmare. Peeta's arms were wrapped around me. He was still asleep. I didn't want to disturb him, so I carefully slipped out of his arms and went downstairs. Turns out I had learned more about baking than I thought. By the time Peeta Comes downstairs, there is a plate piled high with pancakes on the table. He claims that they're delicious, but I think he might be exaggerating to make me feel good about my cooking. I push a bowel of strawberries over to him.

"Here" I say. "I already had some. He smiles and pops a berry in his mouth. "So what are we doing today?" I ask. He thinks about it for a few seconds.

"Why don't we just take a walk?" He asks. "I mean, it's been so long since we just…talked." He has a point there, and a walk doesn't sound that bad. We've been walking for a few minutes when Peeta asks "Katniss? We've known each other since we were five, and I still don't know if you're…" a huge smile breaks out on his face as he starts poking my ribs. "Ticklish!" I break out laughing. The only one who's ever attempted tickling me was my father; I forgot how funny it feels.

"P-P-Peetaaa!" I can't talk right through my laughter. "St-Stop!" now Peeta's laughing. It must be so amusing to actually make me laugh. I start tickling him back, but he doesn't stop tickling me. "H-how d-d-d-do y-you l-like it!"

"K-K-Katniiiiis! Qu-quit it!" He manages to get out we fall down in the snow. It never seems to go away this time of year. Peeta landed on the bottom so he's actually in the snow. "K-Katnis! It's c-c-cold!" he yells still laughing. Neither of us hears the footsteps approaching.

"G-Gale! I exclaim. Peeta stops tickling me and looks up. I can only imagine how awkward this must feel to him. I stand up. "Hey. I say brushing myself off. "How've you been?" I help Peeta up as I say this.

"Fine." He says. You can almost see the pain in his eyes. "I have to go now." He says in haste. He runs off before we can say anything.

Gales POV

They were _rolling on top of each other!_ Just tickling each other in the snow! All I can think about is that scene they filmed of their reunion before the victory tour. Katniss running to him, Peeta spinning her around and falling in the snow with her, how much of it was for the cameras then?

_**So what'd you think? I know this chapter was a bit fluffy, and I promise something will actually happen next chapter. Tell me if you want more fluff chapters in the future.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**It's that time again! Update time! I send my love to my reviewers. This is my first Fanfic and I already have dedicated readers and frequent reviewers. And thank you for the complement on my Gale's POV writing. I love writing from his POV but with the plotline, it's gotten harder to put his thoughts in. I'll still try though :P Keep those reviews coming and the updates will come quicker! So without further ado, I give you, Chapter 6!**_

_**Chapter 6**_

Katniss's POV

Gale…I chose Peeta, I know that, but to lose Gale as a friend would crush me. Our friendship has already deteriorated some, but we're still friends…right? I have to think about it. Ever since the engagement we haven't talked much, but I always attributed that to the fact that I was always doing scenes for the cameras or preparing for the wedding. But now that's all done; the wedding's over, the cameras are gone, and I've settled back into the district…but Gale's still gone. Sure I see him sometimes, but I'm lucky to get a syllable out of him when we talk. Why does it have to be like this? Ever since I took Prim's place in the reaping…the odds have not been in my favor.

"Hey, Katniss? Are you ok?" Peeta asks. "Why don't we go see your family ok?" As he says it, I realize we actually haven't spoken with our families since the wedding day, well, we've talked to Peeta's brothers, but that's it. It actually would probably help me sort things out if I talked to my mother and Prim.

"Sure, why not?" I say. We walk back up to the Victor's village where we find my mother and Prim playing card out on the front step.

"Who's winning?" Peeta says with a laugh. It is funny though, because you can see Prim struggling with the game my mother is obviously trying to teach her.

"Mother is, but I'm catching up." Says Prim optimistically. So for a while, we just watch. I've never seen the game that they're playing before, but it looks like the goal is to get all of the cards. After mother wins the game, we all head inside to talk. Peeta and I relay the various…"awkward" situations Peeta and I have run into with Gale. The schoolyard kiss, the "tickling" incident, and the fact that with all of their tesserae, we have a decent chance of having to mentor all 3 Hawthorn brothers in the Quell.

"Just give him some time Katniss, he's obviously in shock." Says my mother. It's the obvious answer, but I don't know how long I can wait. As we leave the house, I decide to focus on something else again, it worked last time anyway. That's when I realize, the winter Festival is only two days away. That means our stylists, prep-teams, camera crews, reporters; they'll all be here _tomorrow_!

I wake up and scream. Peeta bolts straight up in bed and literally buts heads with Flauvius. My prep team is surrounding our bed.

"Oh good your awake." Chimes Octavia. "We've been waiting!" What I'm wondering is how long they've been watching us sleep. "Your prep team is waiting down stairs Peeta; we'll take care of Katniss."

"What are we even being prepped for anyway?" I ask. "The festival isn't until tomorrow."

"Oh, you two need to be prepped for tonight." Says Venia "At midnight, you two will be starting the festival." I had forgotten that the festival is a 24 hour event.

"So why come in here so early?" Asks Peeta, Him and Flauvius are still nursing their foreheads.

"Early?" gasps Octavia "it's almost two in the afternoon. What on earth made you two sleep so late?" Peeta and I had slept late because of how late we were up last night.

After talking with my mother and Prim, Peeta and I went into town and went shopping. It is traditional that on the morning after the festival, if you can afford it, you exchange gifts with friends and family. Mother once told me that the festival is similar to a holiday they used to celebrate before the dark days. Peeta and I went in opposite directions once in town; we didn't want to spoil our presents to each other. I had bought gifts for everyone, Prim, Mother, Peeta, Haymitch; I also bought something for both of Peeta's brothers since they'll be joining us after Peeta and I start the festival. I also bought a present for Gale…but I don't know if he'll take it now. If not ill just give it to Rory, since it's kind of a family present. After buying all of the gifts, I met Peeta at the center of town, and we helped each other carry all of the presents up to our house.

By the time that all of the gifts were piled high by our fireplace, it had grown dark. I ask Peeta what he would like to do, since it wasn't quite late enough to go to bed yet. He thinks about it for a second before replying.

"I know it's late…but could you take me into the woods Katniss?" He gives me his most convincing puppy-dog-eyes as he says this.

"Peeta, the only safe entrances are by the hob and my old house." I say.

"So, the hob isn't that far from here is it?" No, it isn't actually. It's only about ten minutes away on foot.

"Well I guess we could go that way." I say "Why do you want to go into the woods?"

"I want to learn how to shoot." He says "Will you teach me?" It seems only fair. He taught me what he knew, so I should return the favor. I grab his hand and lead him to the break in the fence by the hob. I know it's hardly ever active, but I still listen before I pull Peeta through the opening. I grab two sets of bow and arrows out of the hollow tree and thrust a set into his hands. After hours of practicing, he managed to take down a rabbit. It was a messy kill, so we left it for the dogs.

We would've gotten home at a decent time, but the fence was active when we got back. Peeta and I had to wait an hour before we could get home. But I don't tell my prep team this. Instead, I tell them that we just slept to well and we didn't want to get up.

They don't question this and, after ushering Peeta downstairs with his team, they get to work on me. We go through the usual routine. I am rid of all body hair and am made to soak in a stinging fluid. I've always hated how long I have to soak. By the time I'm done, it's getting dark. They apply my makeup and leave my hair loose but tie it back with a pale blue ribbon dotted with snowflakes. They call Cinna in and help him pull a dress the same color as my ribbon over my head. The dress is amazing. The neckline and hem of the dress are lined with white velvet. The whole dress shimmers like cold lake water. But the best part, the best part by far, is when I twirl. The slightest movement seems to send swirls of snow flurries around my body.

"I-it's beautiful…" I say as they tie a diamond necklace around my neck. "How on earth did you…?" I don't even know how to phrase the question, but Cinna seems to know what I mean.

"Holographic projection." He says. "It's something that's normally used on computers in the capitol."

I head downstairs and see Peeta. He is wearing a black suite lined with pale blue at the seams. I laugh when I see that Portia has given him a haircut. Instead of being around shoulder length, it is now short in the back, but it still has the length to fall over his eyes in the front. Peeta blushes at my laugh.

"Does it look bad?" he asks in a worried voice, one hand brushing the back of his hair. I laugh again and cross over to him to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"It looks good." I say "better actually." He seems less worried and smiles back at me. We are hustled out the door with Haymitch, who is wearing a suit that he must have been tackled into by the prep teams, by Effie. It's almost midnight. We arrive in the square with about five minutes to spare before we will start the festival. All we have to do really is set off a firework.

As the clock above the justice building begins to strike twelve, the mayor begins his speech. At his cue, Peeta lights the firework which explodes in a shower of blue and white sparks. With all of the cameras, I'm surprised we haven't been ambushed yet. I spoke too soon.

"Katniss Katniss!" shouts a reporter "What are your thoughts about the upcoming quell?" honest answers, honest answers.

"Just like all the other Quarter Quells," I say "incredibly cruel." My answer is met with agreements and they continue the Q and A.

By the time the reporters have stopped hounding us, we head into the crowd to "mingle" as Effie puts it. We run into Peeta's brothers fighting by the tabled filled with all of the festival foods they had baked.

"Why not Rye?" whines Monrey.

"'Cause you have to help me with the food." Replies Rye in a controlled voice that he's struggling to maintain.

"Gooooossshhhhh Ryeeeeeee." Replies Monrey. Sometimes he's so childish, it's kind of funny. Rye seems to notice that we're here now.

"Oh hey guys." He says. "Are you enjoying the festival?"

"I'm not really one for crowds…" I say with a faint smile.

"aww that's ok." Says Monrey. I bet you don't like being 'Affectionate' in front of crowds either huh?" I go bright red. "Well then you better hope you don't step under any of thiiiiis." He says holding up a small plant. "Mistletoe." He calls it. "If any two people stand under it, they have to kiss!" he laughs at our faces. "That capitol lady with the wig has hung up tons of it, yelling out what I just told you." Leave it to Effie to bring an embarrassing capitol tradition with her.

We spend the rest of the night talking to friends and some people we don't even know. At the end of the day, Peeta and I walk tiredly up the front steps. We only have a few hours to rest before we exchange presents. As we're walking up the front steps, Peeta's arm around my waist to keep me from falling over from fatigue, I feel him stop and turn to look at him.

"What is it Peeta?" I ask. I follow his gaze to above the door. One of those plant, mistletoe I think, is hanging above us. I look at Peeta and he's blushing.

"it's ok Katniss we don't have to, I was just seeing if it was the same one and trying to remember what it looked like and what it was and-oomph!" I have stopped his rambling with a kiss. It takes him awhile to realize what I'm doing before he starts kissing me back. Once he does, it's just like those few other times. When that special hunger overcame me.

_**Soooooo? They never really mentioned holidays in the books, so I thought id add their version of Christmas. I know this one was kind of fluffy too, but it's all leading up to the quell. So what do you guys want everyone to get in their presents huh? I want your ideas for a present for Katniss, Prim, Gale, Haymitch, and Katniss's mother. I know it isn't really a big deal but I want your opinions. And sorry but there will most likely not be an update in the next couple of days. Christmas and all. But I will update if I get enough time. Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate (even though Hanukah's already over.) Review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hello there! Sorry about the wait. All of the holiday stuff around here has settled down, so now I'm free to update. So let's recap, Peeta and Katniss have gotten married, they will be mentors in the Quarter Quell which is about three weeks away, they will be mentoring multiple children, the Winter Festival has come and gone. So here is the long awaited update!**_

_**Chapter 7:**_

The Morning after the winter festival

Gale's POV

My family and I are headed towards the Victor's Village. I have conflicted feelings about this. We are supposed to be having a gift exchange at Katniss's house, but after what I saw the other night, I'm not sure I could face them.

I had been walking through the Victor's Village trying to find Rory. He had run off in search of Prim. The Everdeens sure do have an effect on us don't they. While I was passing Katniss's house, I had seen them, once again wrapped around each other in a kiss. At least they didn't see me this time. I had snuck away without making a sound.

So now we were on our way to their house. I don't really know how I will be able to look at them straight anymore. When we arrived, it was clear that Katniss and Peeta have no idea what I witnessed last night. We exchange gifts happily, well everyone else is happy. I act happy though. That way nobody gets worried.

Katniss's POV

The days go by normally without many significant happenings. Peeta takes me into town almost every day and we help in the bakery. On Sundays, I still try to patch my friendship with Gale when we hunt, but he hardly ever comes into the woods. When he does we don't talk, and he never looks at me.

Days pass by like this, then weeks. Time goes by too fast; it is the morning of the reaping. I wake up and feel Peeta's arms wrapped around me. I shake his shoulder and whisper his name. He opens his eyes and smiles. The smile falls from his face.

"It's today, isn't it?" He whispers. I nod my head and sit up. We get dressed in our reaping clothes with stiff, robotic movements. This is probably the only big event I can think of where we aren't prepped by a team and dressed by a stylist. I wear a pale green dress tied with a white ribbon around the waste. I'm pretty sure I wore it on the victory tour in district seven. Peeta wears a ivory suit that he wore in ten.

We have slept late, so we start heading to the town square, each of us holding a cheese bun we grabbed before we left; our other hands clinging to one another. We just have time to whisper good luck to Gale's family before the mayor has us head up onto the stage. We say hello to Effie and take our seats on the makeshift stage next to Haymitch.

Effie begins with her usual "Happy Hunger Games!" and it is all too soon when she is calling out "Ladies first!" and her hand dips into the girls' reaping ball. I hope that the girl tribute won't have siblings. I want as few tributes from twelve as possible to enter the arena. Effie grabs a slip of paper and reads out the name.

"Leevy Mare!" Effie chimes. No, not Leevy. I know for a fact she has siblings. "Will Leevy and any sibling of hers please come to the stage." Continues Effie. I watch Leevy wrap her arms around two boys in the twelve year old section of ropes as she walks forward. Twins by the look of it. The two boys hug tightly to Leevy and start to tear up; not Leevy though, she holds them tightly and all three of them mount the stage. "Please state your names and ages." Effie says to them.

"Leevy Mare. Seventeen." Leevy says in a controlled voice.

"E-Eliot M-M-Mare. Twelve." The first boy says, still choking back tears.

"O-Oak Mare. Twelve." The second one says, in the same state as his brother. They are both so tiny, even for twelve year olds, honestly they could be six! They have dark hair that hangs just in front of their eyes, showing they're from the Seam. Their one detail, that nobody else in their family has, is their bright blue eyes. I can see the sadness on the faces of the crowd. They always act like this when a twelve year old is chosen, and now there are two of them before the male tribute has even been called.

"Splendid." This is always Effie's response, but she doesn't have that normal note of unnatural happiness that she usually does. I guess even a capitol woman can't ignore such a sad sight.

She crosses over to the boys' reaping ball and grabs the first name off the top of the pile. She reads the name in a clear voice.

"Gene Grass" this name has no significance to me, but by the pained expression on Peeta's face shows that it does mean something to him. I squeeze his hand and give him a sympathetic look.

"He-he's been my best friend since we could talk…" Peeta starts to tear up a bit and we drop the topic; I have a feeling that if we continue, Peeta will have a break down on live TV. Gene grabs the hand of a girl who looks about fifteen as he walks towards the stage. The two of them both have dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Obvious merchant kids, but then, I recognize them. Well, I font recognize their faces, but I know all too well where those bruises came from. They are from the community home. They say there information before Effie can ask.

"Gene Grass. Sixteen." Says Gene; you can tell that he is struggling to keep from crying.

"Stephaney Grass. Fourteen" His sister says in a much more steady voice then her brother. Effie asks for volunteers, but as usual, nobody steps forward.

Leevy's POV

I sit on the plush velvet couch in the justice building. They had to use more rooms since there are so many tributes this year. I receive my first visit from my mother. Before I can say anything, I start crying into my mother's shoulders.

"Where's Dad?" I ask through sobs. Then I realize that this is a stupid question. My father is visiting one of my brothers. My mother explains that the two of them will be visiting us separately. With the quell, the peacekeepers have cut our time for visiting due to so many tributes. I go through my visits, and all too soon, Effie Trinket is ushering me out to the hovercraft.

Gene's POV

Stephaney and I just waited in the hovercraft from the beginning, we have nobody who would visit…except maybe Peeta, but he's one of our mentors now. We hear voices and we see the other tributes. I don't know them. But seeing those little twin boys, and thinking about them in the arena, send a pang of sadness through my chest. They are so small; they'll most likely be dead within the first half hour of the games. Wait, I take that back; the careers will focus on the big threats at the beginning. They won't go for those two until the pool is down to at least seven or eight. That is…if nature hasn't finished them off already. I stop thinking about it.

Katniss's POV

At dinner, we sit with the tributes. We have to discuss what is yet to come.

"Ok." I start. I am the first one at the meal, which has been going on in silence for about an hour. "First things first, when we get to the capitol, you will all meet your stylists. With the surplus of tributes this year, they had to call in more stylists. Portia and Cina will be working with the two main tributes. That means Leevy and Gene. The twins will both have Chase, a stylist that Cina has been training. Stephaney, you will have Brand, Portia has been training him. None of you will like what the prep teams do, trust me. You will be exposed and rid of body hair. It will be painful, but you will not complain. What they do gets sponsors and sponsors give you life in the arena." They give me odd looks and I realize that this is the first time I've ever talked like this. "President Snow sent out a notice saying that all members of the last family sending will become victors, so stick together. Until the pool of tributes shrinks a bit, you should all stick together. The career pack will most likely be monstrous this year." We finish eating and sit down to watch the replays and see exactly who the other tributes will be.

_**Gasp! And you all thought that I was going to put Gale in. Ok so sorry that this update was a bit shorter than usual. But this gives me an amazing opportunity to hear from you! I want your ideas for the other tributes and their siblings! (Or an only child if you prefer) the ones I like best will be entered in the 75**__**th**__** hunger games! (If there aren't enough ideas, ill fill in the blanks with my own ideas so no worries. Review my story and submit ideas! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**So sorry 'bout the wait guys **____** I didn't think that I would be so busy these last few days. Please don't be mad. So without further chit-chatting, I give you, the tributes of the 75**__**th**__** hunger games!**_

Chapter eight:

Katniss's POV

The tributes from district one…well I'm sure that absolutely _nobody_ expected this. The female tribute's name is Shine. She is small, a thirteen year old, she is very fare skinned and had flaming red hair that fell down to the small of her back. She looks about the same height as Prim and is about the same size, just a bit skinnier. She is an only child, nobody standing with her on that stage, and oddly enough, nobody volunteered for her.

The male tribute's name is Glide, the classic career at age 17. He is large and broad shouldered. He has bright blonde shaggy hair that covers his face; it's a wonder how he can see. He has a younger brother, Tin. He is a scrawny boy, 13 years old. He is obviously one of the few in district one who doesn't train to be a tribute. I find it odd that _two_ out of the three tributes are so scrawny. They will most likely not be in the career pack…well Tin might be in because of his brother.

District two is much more like we are used to. The female tribute, whose name has escaped me, has an older brother, I forget his name to, but what I won't forget, is that he is one of this year's giants. He's probably bigger than Thresh.

The male tribute's name is Marco, another giant. He is an only child, but his size will still make his one-person-group one of the top choices for sponsors. With so many giants in the games so far, Leevy and Gene will need to be amazing in the opening ceremonies to get any sponsors.

District three's male tribute is named Tarquin, age fifteen. He has an older sister named Melissa who needs to be pushed up to the stage by who I guess is her husband. She is twenty one. I can practically see the fear in her eyes. She thought she was safe, but this year's quell throws in all siblings above age twelve.

The female tribute doesn't really make an impression on me. all I can remember is that she was an only child and that her name was Rose. I also remember that she was only twelve and that her long auburn hair was held between her thumb and index finger, constantly being twirled around in nervousness.

By now I've become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of kids already going into the arena. I hide my head in Peeta's shirt for the rest of the replays; I'll just have Peeta fill me in on the names when the games start, or I could just read the names on the program at the opening ceremonies.

When the reaping replays are over, Gene stands up and runs out of the room. We here his door slam as he enters his room.

"He's really freaked out." Stephaney stated the obvious. "I'll go talk to him." She gets up and leaves the room. I look around and see a range of emotions; fear, shock, sadness…all of these can be seen in the faces in the room. Eliot and Oak are crying now, they cling to Leevy's skirt and bawl their eyes out. If I could save anyone from the games, it would be those two. They are so small, the size I might've been when I started school. I hope for their sake that they're resourceful. Peeta is holding me. I look up and see his eyes start to tear up.

oOoOo

I wake up and realize that I had fallen asleep in Peeta's arms after watching the reaping replays.

"Hey." He says when he sees I'm awake. "Are you doing ok?"

"Yah…I just needed some time to absorb it, that's all." I say. He laughs.

"Well you had plenty of time; we're in the capitol. We just got here actually; I was about to wake you up." He says. He helps me up and we walk off of the train to meet the flashes of cameras.

Oak's POV

I'm afraid. Eliot and I stand without a single piece of clothing as four weird capitol people walk around us.

"At least they're too young to have any body hair." Says a fat capitol man named Ponce. He is really weird. His skin is bright red and he has electric blue hair. "The other district twelve tributes have a lot more work to do. We only need to clean off the grime." I don't know what he means, but I just wish he would let us put some clothes on.

Leevy's POV

Poor Oak, poor Eliot. I can only imagine how frightened they must be right now. My prep team has left and Cinna walks in. I recognize him from when he came to district twelve for the victory tour.

"Good afternoon Leevy." He says. Without a word he walks around me a few times and gestures for me to sit on a couch at the far end of the room. Our lunch comes right out of the table! As we eat Cinna describes how we will be dressed for the opening ceremonies this year.

"We think that instead of focusing just on the coal, we should add some element of where the coal comes from." I think he is implying that this year, the outfits will have something to do with the mines. He describes his idea to me as we eat. It's actually brilliant by my opinion.

OoO

Katniss's POV

Peeta and I sit in the crowd with the other mentors, none of us are going to see the costumes until they are unveiled in front o everyone else. We here the cheers as the ceremony begins. The doors to the remake center open with a burst of music.

The district one tributes are dressed in shining metallic suits. The boys in glittering gold tuxedos with rubies fused to them. The girls wear bright silver dresses with emeralds and diamonds. You can hear the roar of approval from the crowd. District one is always a favorite in the capitol.

The next district that catches my attention is district three. They all where glowing hooded robes. It creates a beautiful effect, but I can't figure out why they would choose robes that look like an assassin would wear them. I ignore the question and watch the rest of the tributes role by.

When our district comes out, I'm shocked. Eliot and Oak where glowing multi colored feather robes, the canaries in the coal mine; Leevy, Gene, and Stephaney all where different outfits. The Girls wear black dresses that have the synthetic fire glowing around the hem of their dresses and the cuffs of their sleeves. Gene wears a dark suit that that glows with the fire on his headband and cuffs of his pants and sleeves. The effect is dazzling! What amazes me the most is that the feathers of Eliot and Oaks robes seem to glow with fire _inside_ the costume.

They receive deafening cheers. District twelve is victorious again. The crowd is still chanting the names of our tributes when they enter the training center and the doors have long since closed behind them. We clap along with them, very excited for the fact that they now have a chance for sponsors.

_**Sooooooooo? What did you think? I couldn't fill all of the tribute spaces, so the ones that I didn't name are still available for ideas! Please please please review. Also, there is some error on Fanfic that won't let me check my story traffic. Anybody having similar issues? If not, how do I fix it?**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Ok. So my goal is to get at least two updates a week now that school has started again. So I have been getting some nice ideas from you guys. Remember that if you agree with a suggestion made in a review, say that you agree in your own review. Suggestions that get enough agreements will be implemented into the story faster than the other ones, but all ideas are taken into consideration. Remember, all ideas are valued and appreciated! It has been brought to my attention that I haven't been giving Peeta his share of POVs. My bad **____** I didn't mean to. So to start it off…a Peeta's POV!**_

Chapter Nine:

Peeta's POV

The tributes have started training. I've noticed that Katniss has had that abnormally "fluffy" attitude that she adapts when she is trying to block things out. I remember she acted like this over the stress from the wedding. But now that training has started, she has shifted to mentor-mode. I have had a feeling that it's time for me to do the same. In fact, I did. It was the day after the opening ceremonies, and at breakfast I had one of those outbursts that Katniss had earlier.

"Ok." I started. "Do any of you have any special talents?" I sound like Haymitch did to us. "Leevy?" She looks startled that I picked her to go first.

"W-well, Katniss has shown me how to shoot a little…and I can throw knives." Katniss looks up from her hot chocolate and stares at Leevy.

"How did you learn to throw knives?" Katniss asks, the surprised look still plastered to her face.

Leevy blushes a little. "Well…while you were on the victory tour…Gale taught me some more in the woods. I learned how to aim better with the arrows and how to throw knives decently."

"Can you show us?" The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. "Can you get a knife to stick in the side of the train?" This is the first thing that comes to me. It's how Haymitch got Katniss to demonstrate her skill. I see Katniss's eyes shift in my direction and I know that she has had the same thoughts.

"Oh…I don't know…" Leevy trails off.

"C'mon Leevy!" blurts out Oak. "You already showed us!"

"Yah!" chimes in Eliot. "And you hit a smaller target than that at home!" Eliot turns my way. "She took us into the woods, and she cut the _highest_ branch off of one of the _tallest _trees!" Oak gives a half frown.

"We asked her to teach us, but she said that we couldn't play with knives." I laugh and I see Katniss crack a smile. "C'mon Leevy! Show them!" Oak continues. With a blush on her cheeks, Leevy stands and picks up her knife. She flings it across the dining room and we hear a resonating _thwack_ as the knife sticks between the window and the window-pane. I'm sure that my jaw has opened. Katniss had hit in between the panels on accident, but you could tell by the way Leevy had closed one eye and pointed at the window-pane that she was purposely aiming there.

Leevy's blush returns as the silence drags out. I hear an aggravated grunt. We all turn and see Stephaney stand and grab her, Oak's, and Gene's knife. She flings them all at once and a startled chef is pinned to the wall by his sleeves with two of the knives, the third stuck his hat to the wall when the chef ducked. Gene pulls Stephaney down into her seat and Katniss walks over to unpin the still whimpering chef from the wall.

"She's a bit…competitive." Says Gene with an apologetic glance to Leevy. This surprises me. Stephaney had seemed so level headed before. I guess when it comes to competition, she switches gears.

"Ok." Katniss says "Now we know that Leevy and Stephaney can throw knives, what can the rest of you do." When nobody answers, Katniss decides to pick on someone. "Oak?" The little boy stares at his plate in thought for a moment. Then a half smile appears on his face.

"Eliot and I can climb trees!" he says. "We were the ones to climb the tall trees to get Leevy's knives."

Leevy chimes in. "They're small enough to fit into tight spaces." Then she looks down at the table. "I'm sorry. That isn't really a talent is it?" She says with a sigh. Gene hesitates a moment before putting his hand on her back.

"That's going to be helpful with hiding from the careers." He says, obviously trying to cheer her up. I smile a knowing smile. I wasn't the only merchant kid to fall for a girl from the seam. Gene's had a crush on Leevy longer than I have for Katniss.

Eliot looks confused. "Hey, what about you Gene, we've all said stuff already, what about you?" he says with a look of puzzlement still on his face. Gene looks down and frowns.

"I can't do anything helpful." He says. Then I remember something from when we were kids.

Our school was having a talent show. Back then i still loved to draw, so I was going to show some of my drawings of animals that I saw running around our backyard. I tried to get Gene to enter the show, but he said he couldn't do anything good, but right after he said that, a mockingjay landed on a tree in front of us. It whistled a tune and Gene whistled it right back. His voice isn't as good as Katniss's, but it's good enough to get a response out of a mockingjay. The mockingjay cut off in its repetition of Gene's whistle.

"Something's wrong." He said. He lunged forward and grabbed the bird, hugging it close to his chest, right as a mangy orange gat jumped out of the tree. The cat landed on his feet and hissed at the mockingjay before running off. Gene let go of the bird and watched it fly towards the woods.

"I was right." Was all he said. Gene was right. He didn't know any…performable talents, but he had one. He was really intuitive. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of one of the district three mentors; her name sounds like wire or something like that. Her male counterpart explained that while she seemed a bit off, she could sense things. After three minutes of talking to me in fact, she told me that I would have trouble seeing Gene in the arena more than the other tributes. I stared at her, dumbfounded.

Gene had other moments like it to. One time, our friend Tim was helping us plan a prank on Gene. We had put a bucket of bakery frosting on top of the door, childish I know, but when we called him in the room, he yelled back,

"Not until you get that bucket off the door." He yelled at us. And another time, in gym class, we were playing dodge-ball. Leevy was on our team and she got knocked over by a ball. Gene went over to help hey up, and as soon as they were both standing, Gene yelled "Duck!" and pushed Leevy down with him as a ball flew over their heads. Other times, he figured out the exact number of objects in the jar for one of those contests just by guessing. He's also always the first one to solve those brain-teaser puzzles. It was creepy how he always seems to know things.

Stephaney is still trying to come up with Gene's talents.

"You're intuitive." I say simply "You always seem to find things out before everyone else." He thinks about it for a second before replying.

"I guess." He says. Leevy looks over at him; I think she remembers that time in gym class too.

Eliot's POV

We start training today, when we get down to the stadium, I'm temporarily confused that we're the only district dressed alike. We all wear blue long sleeved, skin tight shirts with flowing, yet tight-fitting, white pants. When the training leader dismisses us, Leevy heads over to archery, she isn't very good at it, but Peeta and Katniss told us to steer clear of things that we're best at.

Oak and I are the only tributes that seem to stick together, well except for Gene who tries the same things as our sister.

"Want to try the picks?" Oak asks. I look over at the weapons, the same tools used in the mines by our father.

"Ok." I say. I blow my hair out of my eyes; it wasn't this long when we got here, but our prep team refuses to cut our hair because it's "cute enough to die for" when it covers our eyes. The trainer raises his eyebrows when we walk over to him, but he doesn't complain; it looks like not a lot of the tributes are that into using picks.

Oak struggles to lift one of the weapons, an odd one with four points. Well maybe it isn't that weird here, but at home, the miners only use two-pointed ones. I look at the selection of picks and grab one that has three points but looks more like the ones at home. I check on Oak, who has decided to grab one similar to mine. He is eyeing the targets, dummies about 5 feet tall, with red and blue X's that seem to be randomly placed.

"Blue represents places that will injure, Red represents places that contain vital organs or arteries." Explains our trainer. We spend the rest of the time before lunch practicing with picks. By the time lunch rolls around, we can successfully hit the dummies when we throw the lighter picks, and can last a decent amount of time sparring with the trainer before he knocks the pick out of our hands.

At lunch we sit with the rest of our district. We learn that Leevy and Gene have developed the ability to at least hit a target with an arrow and Stephaney has managed to win against two capitol-provided sparring partners at once in hand-to-hand combat. I think that Stephaney is a good person to have in our little alliance. Well, the one that Katniss and Peeta want us to make once the games start. We only have a few days until then.

After lunch, Oak and I decide to learn how to identify edible plants. When we get to the station, we see that the frail looking girl from district one is there. I don't remember her name. We study the papers in front of us for a while. Then the girl does something very out-of-the-ordinary for a career, if she counts as one.

"Hey…" she says quietly. "It must be nice." We give her odd looks, but she continues without looking at us. "To have siblings in the arena with you." I didn't know if she had siblings or not, but I guess she doesn't. She doesn't speak for the rest of training.

Effie picks us all up at the door to the training center and leads us back up to the common room of our floor. Katniss and Peeta are there already, trying to lift a passed out Haymitch Abernathy off of the floor.

"Exactly _how_ _much_ did he have to drink?" Trills Effie. "Honestly! He's going to have to help get sponsors once the games start!" I realize that we haven't seen much of Haymitch the whole time we've been in the capitol. I guess he has been drinking a lot because he's trying to forget his games. He's gotten a lot of attention this year since he won the last quell.

The days of training go by until it's the day of our private sessions with the game makers. Well, they aren't so private this year. Since a whole family can win, Leevy, Oak, and I will all be performing together. Gene and Stephaney go before us though since the main boy tribute still goes first.

Stephaney's POV

The other tributes have gone, and our district sits together at a table, waiting for Gene and I to be called.

"Remember," Leevy says "Use the weapon that you are best with." I see Gene nod his head, but I know that he's bummed. He never really got the hang of any weapon in training, but we have worked out a way to show his "intuitiveness" as Peeta put it, with hand-to-hand combat. They call Gene's name, and we head into the stadium. I nod at Gene and take the bandana that's wrapped around my head off and hand it to him. We are starting off by showing our individual skills first, but he'll need that when we show our skills at the same time. I throw some knives and Gene practices with a bow. After a while, we lock eyes and walk to the center of the room. Gene ties the bandana around his eyes as a blindfold and strikes a defensive stance. I see some raised eyebrows from the game makers. We haven't really practiced this a lot, but we hope that he won't be hit in the face.

I lash out with a series of jabs and swings as Gene dodges them all, my fist barley missing his head. But when we try the last part, we screw up. I swing my foot around under him, but he fails to jump over it and he falls on top of me. We lose the attention from the game makers and they dismiss us after we stand up.

Leevy's POV

They call my name and we enter the training center. Oak and Eliot will be training together and I will be off by myself. I set up some of the dummies as they grab their picks. As soon as I step away, two picks are lodged in a blue X and almost immediately after, two more in red X's. They continue this for a while, just grabbing more picks from the pile and throwing them at the dummies. When I feel that about five minutes have passed, I tap their shoulders and we get ready for my turn. I grab knives as Eliot and Oak take the small targets from the slingshot area and set them up along the walls. I throw two knives at a time, usually hitting around the center of a target with each knife. But every now and then I miss, but not too much. We are dismissed about three minutes after I start.

We head back up to the district twelve floor. Katniss, Peeta, and the Grass kids are all sitting on the couches already. We plop down on the vacant couch, across from Peeta and Katniss.

"So we've heard from Gene and Stephaney already." Says Katniss "How did you three do?" how'd we do? I think we did fine, but I don't know what kind of answer Katniss wants.

"I think we did really good!" Oak and Eliot say simultaneously, showing the twelve year old in their voice.

"Yah." I agree. A smile creeps onto my face. "Really good."

_**So? What did you think? I'm happy with how this story is turning out. So I need your thoughts! There is that pretty little review button down there just waiting to be pressed! Remember, if you agree with a past suggestion, you should say so in your review. I need to know what the majority of you want! Review please! **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello again. I was having some problems with Microsoft, so I haven't been able to update. Sorry :*( but I'm here now! I haven't been giving a good enough part of my story to Katniss and Peeta lately, so this chapter will be very Katniss x Peeta(after the scores are given of course). I have appreciated the amount of reviews you have been giving me a lot, it really makes me want to update as soon as I can. So I give you chapter 10!**_

Chapter 10:

Katniss's POV

I sit clutching Peeta's hand to the point that I'm pretty sure that his circulation is being cut off. I can't help it though; we are about to see just how well our tributes did in training. We sit huddled in the media room of the train. The twins clutch Leevy and the three of them have their eyes set on the screen even though the program hasn't aired yet. Gene and Stephaney have their hands locked in the same way Peeta and I do. My head has just settled into the crook of Peeta's neck when Panem's anthem starts playing. I ignore the program until District One's scores show up.

The read-headed girl, Shine, with no other tributes helping her, scored a twelve! I can feel the shock in the room. Oak points out how she never seemed very amazing in training. We can't fathom how such a small girl, with no apparent talents, could have scored so well. This score is not only high, it has never been achieved before! We don't have time to think it over though, because the male tribute's family picture has appeared on screen. Glide and Tin score a six. I can imagine Glide's displeasure at the score, but he _was_ being scored with his scrawny brother. I'm sure that this had an influence on their score.

District two's The female tribute's family scores an eight, an average score for career districts that doesn't surprise anybody. Marco scores a nine, not a surprising score from a giant. We don't see anything odd about the scores from district two, so no comments are made.

The scores are all as expected from the other districts, we just sit and watch. Now, district twelve is flashing on screen. Leevy, Oak, and Eliot together score a nine. So far this is the first "lower-district" to earn I high score. Leevy and the twins break into grins at the score. Now Gene and Stephaney are up on screen. They receive another nine. We all reach a state of ecstasy now. The tributes all embrace their siblings, then go as far as to start embracing each other, Gene has an obvious blush when Leevy wraps her arms around his neck in a hug. Then the tributes start hugging some of us! Haymitch doesn't know how to respond when the twins both hug him, so he awkwardly pats them on the head. I whisper a "good job" in Leevy's ear when she hugs me. Now the only major stepping-stone to getting sponsors is their interview tomorrow.

That night, Peeta and I stand on the roof of the training center. "Do you remember the last time we were here?" I ask him.

"Yah." he says "before our last games. That was probably our last moment before the capitol took over our lives." I turn away from the balcony to face him.

"No." I say "Our last moment of freedom was right before we stepped onto that stage back home." He still faces the horizon.

"Have you thought at all about…you know…" he doesn't know how to say it in any other way then just saying it. "…having kids?" I just look at him for a second. Then my gaze travels towards the ground. He senses my hesitation. "I'm sorry Katniss."

"It's fine." is all I say. Then, something in my mind surfaces. A distant memory, it probably means nothing, but it's hard to ignore. It was back when the tour had started. I had been talking to Haymitch.

"_If you could just help me get through this trip," _I had started. Then Haymitch interrupted me.

"_No, Katniss, it's not just this trip," _he had said.

"_What do you mean?" _I said

"_Even if you pull it off, they'll be back in another few months to take us all to the games. You and Peeta, You'll be mentors now, every year from here on out. And every year they'll revisit the romance and broadcast the details of your private life, and you'll never, ever be able to do anything but live happily ever after with that boy." _he had explained

At the time, he had been referring to our marriage, but now…they'll be expecting more.

"Peeta," I say "They'll be expecting, no, _demanding_ it."

"What?" he says, completely oblivious to what I'm implying. His eyes widen as he realizes it. "Oh, Katniss, they wouldn't do that." you can see by the look on his face, that he doesn't even believe his words. Much less believe that I do.

"Yes they will Peeta…do you think that we should do it now?" I know that he won't agree to this due to circumstances, but I feel that I should get the thoughts out in the open. I feel his arms wrap around me.

"Oh, Katniss…no, no, no." he says "We can't let them push us into this."

"But," I start, but my words are stopped mid-sentence by Peeta's kiss. This kiss isn't like those dragged out ones we shared in the capitol, this is a kiss that is like those few special times, in the arena, in the school yard. I try a few times to get my thoughts out anyway, but after a few tries, I kiss him back. I'm reminded of our first kiss. Peeta had been trying to tell me what should happen if he should die, and I had stopped him with a kiss. We cling to each other, and when we stop, it's only because I'm sure that if we kept going we'd surely pass out. My forehead rests just under his chin and he whispers against the top of my hair.

"Katniss, we're just seventeen." he says "It was a long shot for them to get us married so early; there's no way that they can get us to do that so soon. All those times when I asked you about it, I didn't mean now, I meant in the future, when we're home. I knew that you wouldn't want them, but I couldn't help asking. Even I know that having them is a bad idea, what with the way things are. It was just a whim. I'm sorry."

I'm so moved by what Peeta has said that my eyes start to tear up. He must feel a tear land on him, because he lifts my chin so that I look into his eyes. I saw my father do this so many times with my mother. This time it's me who leans in, but this time, just as our lips touch, I hear a whimper. Peeta must hear it to, because we break way at the same moment. Eliot stands by the door, wiping his nose on the too long sleeve of his oversized pajamas.

"K-Katniss." he says "I-I can't sleep, I h-had a nightmare." it breaks my normally guarded heart to see such a small boy in a state like this. To my surprise, Peeta walks over to him and takes his hand, leading him over to me. When they are there, Peeta gets on one knee and puts his hands on Eliot's shoulders.

"What was it about?" Peeta asks in a calm voice, as if he didn't already know.

"The games." Eliot says, his voice still trembling "I-I watched Oak and Leevy die." the little boy starts crying now and Peeta lets him sob into his shoulder. A capitol attendant has appeared in the doorway with a sad look on his face.

"Could you bring him a glass of milk?" I ask the attendant. He nods and hurries down the hall. I turn back to Peeta and Eliot. Eliot has stopped crying now and Peeta has stood up. He really is good with kids. The attendant reappears with the milk and leads Eliot back to his room.

"Hearing him talk about his dream," Peeta starts "it made me realize something." somehow, I already know what he'll say, and I say it before he can.

"We have to chose a family."

_**Again, I'm so sorry about taking a while to update, but Microsoft Word was acting up on me. It's all good now though, so updates should be about two or three times a week again. So please review and give me your ideas. Anyone else getting the hints I'm putting out about two of the tributes? If not I wont spoil what I'm planning, and I won't tell you if your right. So I hope you enjoyed chapter 10.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello there again! I had another snow day today, so I have time to write another update for you guys, that's the good news. The bad news is that I might have to miss my trip to visit my cousins because I have an ear infection that may not allow me to get on a plane. I've gotten some requests to catch up with someone we haven't heard from in a while in the story, so this update will start with a point of view from him. I love your reviews and I want you to keep them coming.**_

Gale's POV

(The day after the training scores have aired)

I walk through town, wondering what I should do. The games are still technically on today, even though nothing is airing today. So I have the day off from the mines. As I walk through the main square, I run straight into someone. We both fall flat on our backs. I'm the first of us to stand up, so I quickly pick up the other person's things and offer my hand.

"I'm sorry, here let me help you up." I say. The girl looks up at me and takes my hand.

"Oh! Gale!" it's Madge "No it's my fault I wasn't looking where I was going." I hand her belongings back to her and notice that she has a long shallow cut on her arm.

"I think your bleeding." I say "Your arm?" she looks down at her arm and goes pale.

"Uh-uh I'm not very good around…" she covers her mouth before saying the last part. "b-blood." I snicker a bit at her squeamishness.

"It's fine," I say "here let me take you back to your house." I offer her my arm, and instead of taking it, she buries her face in it to avoid looking at her arm. I snicker a bit more, then start leading her back to her house. I don't need her directions, I've been there plenty of times to sell the strawberries. When I open the door to her house, I realize that nobodies home.

"Where are your parents?" I ask in confusion.

"The capitol." she says "They finally offered my mom treatment for her headaches." I give her a confused look. I had heard that her mother suffered from terrible head aches, and I knew that you couldn't go to the capitol unless invited, but why would they invite her now? My only answer, is that Katniss was involved. As if keeping pace with my thoughts, Madge speaks.

"Katniss actually talked to the capitol officials for me. She said she would, but I didn't think that she would be able to convince them." Madge breaks into a grin at this. "She's a good friend."

"Yah." I say. But I don't sound very convincing. Sure Katniss has tried to patch our relationship, but I still resent her. I don't know why, I have no reason to. I find the bandages and patch up Madge's arm. "There yah go." I say "That should do it."

"Thanks." she says. She's blushing, and I can't make out why. I'm about to leave, when she speaks up. "Gale!" she almost blurts out. Her blush deepens. "Could you maybe…um…stay?" she continues weekly "It gets lonely with Mother and Father gone." I smile.

"Sure thing Madge."

Katniss's POV

(immediately after the events of the last chapter)

"We need to choose a family." I say "Both of them can't be kept alive. It's like how back in our games Haymitch…" I don't know how to say the next part nicely. Luckily I don't have to, Peeta finishes my sentence.

"Chose you." he says. I just gaze at the ground. "Your right." he says "We have to choose one, but why don't we wait to see the relationships that develop between our tributes like Haymitch did. He didn't chose you until he knew that I was trying to keep you alive to. And who knows," a grim expression crosses his face. "we may not have to chose; one of the families may die off before we have need to send in anything to help them." this is a dark comment, but I know he's right. On the bright side, we don't have to chose right away.

That night, I lay awake in bed while Peeta sleeps soundly beside me. Now that we have cleared our plan about choosing a family, there is something else bugging me. Peeta said that the president wouldn't force us into having a child, but I'm not so sure. I decide to go for a walk, well I can only really walk around inside the training center, but a walk is a walk. I slip out of bed and walk silently out the door. My nightgown brushes my knees as I head down the hall, as I pass the main area of the district twelve floor, I hear whimpering from one of the couches. I walk over to find Gene huddled up on the couch.

When he sees me, he stops whimpering and sniffles out a "hi Katniss…" and stares at the floor, holding back his cries now that he knows I'm here. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"it's ok to be afraid Gene." he looks over at me, then resumes holding his head in his hands. "You have your interview coaching tomorrow, if I know anything about Effie, then you should get as much rest as you can." he nods and stands. He gives me another sad look before walking down the hall to the tribute bedrooms. I decide that I should get some sleep to.

I open the door quietly as not to wake Peeta, and slip into bed beside him. As if sensing that I'm here, Peeta's arm wraps around my waist. At first I think that he's been awake waiting for me, but the subtle sound of deep breathing lets me know that he's asleep. Then he mumbles something in his sleep.

"Katniss…" He mumbles quietly. I smile, but then his grip around me tightens. "Run!" he mumbles. I feel his arm, he's sweating. This must be what Peeta does when he's having a nightmare. I try to turn myself to face him, but his grip is too tight. I shake his arm.

"Peeta! Peeta!" I whisper loudly to him "Wake up Peeta! You're dreaming!" I manage to turn to face him. "Peeta!" his bright blue eyes flash open. As they focus on me, his grip slackens.

"Katniss!" he breaths out in a relieved gasp. "You're still here." I give him a questioning look, but pass t off as part of his nightmare.

"I'm still here." I repeat back to him "Now lets just get some sleep ok?" he nods and pulls me close, and I fall asleep in his embrace.

The next morning, I wake to find Peeta still clinging to me, deep in sleep. I can here Effie at the tributes rooms yelling at them to wake up. She doesn't tell us to get up if we don't want to, but I'd prefer not to miss breakfast. I pull my arms up so my hands rest on his chest. I give him a little push and whisper,

"Peeta, Peeta, time to wake up." I whisper to him. His eyes flutter open, It's still a wonder to me how such long eyelashes don't get tangled up. Hey releases me and sits up to stretch.

He yawns "Breakfast time?" he asks

"Yah" I say. I get out of bed and pull him up "C'mon, I'm starved."

We head out to the breakfast buffet in our night clothes since we're both decently covered. By the time I sit down, my plate consists of only purple melon and a roll covered in a thick icing. But when I sit down they set a plate piled high with some kind of cakes and a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of me. As we eat, I can hear Haymitch and Effie giving them the speech about how training will work. Since Peeta and I will be out getting some sponsors who have already decided, Haymitch will be training the tributes.

Peeta and have to be prepped since reporters will no doubt be covering the event. I had though we would just be writing down the sponsors' names, but it turns out that there is a banquet for the decided sponsors that we will be attending. As my prep team rubs a thick foam over my body, I can hear there exited squeals over how they are invited to attend the sponsors banquet. Cinna comes in holding a bag, which I'm assuming contains my dress, and dismisses the preps.

I can feel the soft inner material cover my body. I wear a pale cream-colored, long-sleeved dress with a dark purple sash around my waist tied in a bow at my side with ribbons that reach down to my inner knees. I smile, since I am no longer a tribute, I am not limited to the flame themed apparel.

"Like it?" Cinna asks.

"Love it. As usual" I say.

Even though the dress is beautiful, my favorite part about it is that it hangs just above the ground so that I don't have to lift it as I walk. I meet up with Peeta in the center of the district twelve floor where Portia is fixing his suit; the banquet will be held in park that sits in the middle of the capitol's main square. Peeta wears a Violet suit so dark, that it can only _just_ be called violet; a shade darker, and it would be black. He has a flower pinned to the front of his suit, the brightest white flower I've ever seen. I don't know what it's called though. He seems a bit out of it.

"Peeta?" I snap my fingers "Peeta?" he seems to realize what's going on now.

"Oh! Katniss." he says "I was just…" he trails off. Portia smiles.

"Your dress Katniss." She says "I'm guessing he was a bit distracted." she takes the mirror in her hand and pushes it in front of my face. I smile and push the mirror away to address Peeta.

"You don't look to bad yourself." I say with a small laugh.

Peeta offers me the crook of his arm "Shall we?" I laugh again. We saw this gesture in the capitol on the victory tour and have been joking about it in our free time. I slide my arm through it, and in my best capitol accent, I say,

"We shall."

We don't need to drive anywhere. The banquet is only a short walk from the training center. When we arrive, I don't exaggerate when I say that it takes less then a second for cameras to start flashing and questions to come flying. Effie interrupts.

"People! People!" she shouts. "Katniss and Peeta will answer questions _after _they sign sponsors. I look around for the other mentors that will be signing sponsors. I cant see any now, and I want to keep it that way. I don't want to have to meet the other victors. Peeta and I have a decent amount of sponsors to sign, but as expected, the career districts have the most. Especially district one since that little girl scored a _twelve_ in training.

Once we have signed all of the sponsors, and the reporters have asked there questions, it's time for the actual banquet part of the evening. It's actually more like the feast during the victory tour. Peeta points out that they have different dishes here, so I'll have to start my "Taste every dish" thing over. I laugh a bit and suggest we just dance,

As we spin on the dance floor, I pull my head away from his shoulder so I can look at him.

"how can we send these kids into the arena Peeta? They only have two more days!" I say

"We'll get through it Katniss." he says "And I promise that we will get one of these families out."

For the rest of the night, the words "one family" buzz around in my head.

_**So? I think that this is one of my better chapters. I really want your reviews guys! And what do you guys think about that little girls twelve? **_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello there people! Long weekend equals speedy update! I know most of my reviewers are fellow writers, so you'll all know what I mean when I say that I get a warm and fuzzy feeling every time a new review comes in! So the mystery behind the Shine's twelve remains! Which family will Katniss and Peeta choose? Why am I asking you these questions? You must read on!**_

Katniss's POV

(An hour before the interviews)

I bight my nails in nervousness. Not only will this be the biggest chance for our tributes to earn sponsors, but this is the last day before the games! I am terribly worried, but I don't know about what. Obviously, I'm worried for our tributes' lives, but what I guess I'm most worried about, is having to choose a family once in the arena. I swear the nerves are about to drive me insane, when Cinna tells me that our tributes are ready.

I stand by the elevator with Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie waiting for them. Leevy's family comes first. Leevy wears a white dress with a sash of synthetic fire, Oak and Elliot wear red suits with cuffs that seem to be made of a white synthetic fire. Then Gene and Stephaney walk out. Gene is wearing a dark red overcoat that reaches the floor. It is unbuttoned though, so you can see the black plain clothing underneath. His sister wears a sleek, pale red, form-fitting dress with her hair falling down her back in ringlets. I'm glad that not all of the costumes are flaming. I'm starting to think that the audience is getting a bit tired of the fire, but it looks nice on Leevy's family.

We head down to the stage in silence. Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, and I head split off to go to our seats as our tributes take their seats. Once again, the stylists take their seats on the high balcony in front of the stage. The Mentors and Escorts sit in the high balcony to the left of theirs. By the time we sit down, the little girl from One is already walking toward the center of the stage.

"I forgot to tell you guys," says Haymitch "even with the twelve she earned in training, that little girl didn't get into the career pack. She's requested an alliance with our tributes. But I need the consent of the other mentors to allow it." Peeta and I exchange glances "Her mentor already gave her consent and I don't think that she would betray them." Peeta raises his eyebrows at me. She would be a good asset to their team.

"Wouldn't her score attract too much attention to our tributes?" I ask.

"I thought about that, but with her size, she probably won't be a first target. Remember? You got an eleven last year and you weren't targeted till the end." I think about this. He makes a good point. I look at Peeta and he shrugs his shoulders to show that he doesn't really care.

"We're ok with it." I say. Haymitch nods and focuses his attention back on the stage. Ceaser is starting the girl's interview now.

"So Shine," he starts "Any family back home rooting for you?" Shine looks at her feet, which aren't completely covered by her long silver dress.

"No." she says simply. Ceaser looks awkward.

"Oh, um…" he says "well any boys?" he puts some implications on the word 'boys'.

"No." she says again. It's clear now that her angle is to appear pitiful. She starts rubbing a a strand of her hair between her fingers, her eyes still on the ground.

"Oh uh…" you can tell Ceaser isn't used to dealing with such an unmotivated career tribute. "Well…" the buzzer sounds and Shine crosses to her seat without being dismissed. The other tributes go by. The interview event is significantly longer with so many tributes. The Leevy is stepping up. She will be followed by Oak, then Eliot.

"So Leevy." Ceaser begins "How was your stay in the capitol?" it occurs to me that we don't know the angles that any of our tributes plan to use.

"What's Leevy's angle?" I ask Haymitch

"She was like you." he says "She is just being herself." we look back at Leevy.

"Ok I guess." she says. "A bit to busy If you ask me." Ceaser continues with the normal questions with all of our tributes. Asking how their stay was, what they like about the capitol, thing like that. I notice that while Leevy and Gene couldn't come up with an angle, the other tributes sure did. The twins act overly, young and innocent, which is saying something since they are normally that way. You can tell that this wins over a majority of the audience. And Stephaney goes with hostile and sarcastic. Now that I think about it, I think she's just being herself to.

Then, being the male tribute in his family, Gene is up last.

"So Gene, a young man as handsome as yourself must have a lady friend back home." says Ceaser.

Gene goes bright red. I look over at Leevy and see that she to, is bright red.

"W-well." Gene stammers.

"Oh I bet it's that Leevy isn't it?" Ceaser says. It's obvious that he's saying this as a joke because of what happened with Peeta and I, but Gene's blush darkens a shade along with Leevy. Ceaser seems oblivious to it though and the buzzer beeps.

"Well that's all the time we have." Ceaser says into the camera. I notice that as the tributes start walking toward the elevators, Leevy and Gene stand near each other. I look over at Haymitch.

"Did something happen between those two?" I ask him.

Haymitch laughs. "Well if you call me walking in on the two of them kissing on the roof this morning something, then yah, something happened."

"And so the star-crossed-lover legacy continues." Says Peeta. Everyone is laughing at the irony, even Effie. I don't see what's so funny about it though.

"They can't both make it out this year though!" I shout. That shuts them up and Peeta looks at me with an apologetic glance. Needless to say, we drop the conversation.

The four of us ride the elevator in silence. When the doors open, Effie hurries off to make last minute plans. Our tributes sit in silence on the couches. They look up as the remaining three of us walk over to them.

"I can't believe we go into the arena tomorrow." Leevy says.

"Did we get any allies?" Oak and Eliot say in unison

"Yah," says Haymitch "the little girl from district one, Shine." our tributes look indifferent to the news. Leevy stands and walks over to us. She embraces me.

"This is where we say goodbye isn't it Katniss?" you can hear the tears in her voice. I hadn't thought about it, but she's right. Tonight all of the mentors will be moved to their control centers where they will stay during the games. I pat Leevy's hair.

"Yah, it is." I say. At these word, the rest of our tributes stand and embrace us one by one. Exchanging tear felt goodbyes. Effie calls the tribute to bed and they leave our presence. That was the last time we would ever see at least half of them. Haymitch leads us up to the roof where a hovercraft waits to take us to the control center. I board the hovercraft, with tears in my eyes. Peeta's arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me close. Tomorrow, The 75th hunger games will begin.

_**OK so as usual, tell me your thoughts! I apologize for my teeny errors. So what are your predictions? Who will live? Who will die? Will that little girl be a genuine ally, our will she stab the district twelve tributes end up with knives in their backs? Find out next time, in our next riveting chapter!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hey people. So who's ready for the 75**__**th**__** hunger games to begin? Is that little girl reliable? Well we have a long weekend as stated last chapter, so I feel like updating again. But be warned, starting next week, the updates will be about two or three a week ok? So without further ado, let the 75**__**th**__** hunger games begin, and let the odds be ever in your favor!**_

Peeta's POV

We arrived in District Twelve's Control Center last night. The control centers are actually just towers surrounding the arena. The main area of the control centers is in the highest room. Each tower's highest room has a door to a bridge that leads to a floating platform directly above the arena. The floor of the platform is made of crystal, so you get a bird's eye view of the whole arena. But the arena's force field is blacked out right now. We don't get to see the arena until the tributes do. Even the computers back in the tower are just static right now since the arena's cameras aren't turned on.

Now I stand on the crystal platform. It is early morning. The tributes are still sleeping in the training center it's so early. I hear footsteps on the metal bridge. Katniss's arms wrap around my waist from behind me.

"You thinking?" she asks

"Yah" I say "Do you think they have a chance?"

She doesn't answer for a while.

"I don't know." she says "Maybe, If they can avoid the careers."

We remain silent for a while. I feel her arms pull away.

"Come on Peeta," she says "the sun isn't even out yet so why are you? Lets get some sleep before it starts." I relent and allow her to pull me back into the tower. She pulls me into bed and almost instantly her breathing slows and she sleeps. A put my arms around her and sit awake. I can't sleep now, she must know that. The only reason she can is because she didn't sleep when we got here. She paced back and forth for hours, biting her nails, mumbling things to herself. She was feeling then what I feel now. But the grogginess combined with the warmth of Katniss beside me pulls me into sleep.

Eliot's POV

I stand alone on my metal plate. We arrived here about an hour ago and now that I'm changed, my stylist has left. All of us tributes will be wearing the same thing, a skin-tight black button-up shirt that appears to be shredded at the bottom. A thin bluish-gray scarf hangs loosely around my neck. The tribute clothing also consist of loose flowing white pants and dark high-topped boots. I brush my shadowy bangs out of my eyes. There is about a minute until we will be thrown into the arena and I am still unsure about allying with Shine. Will she really be a devoted ally to our two families? I have no more time to think, my metal plate is rising.

Katniss's POV

I clench Peeta's hand tightly as we stand on the crystal platform. The other mentors, including Haymitch, are here as well. We want a view of the entire arena before we head to the computer screens. All of a sudden, the blacked out force field flashes white and in a split second, the white is gone and we are looking at the arena. It is large, very large. This is actually probably the biggest arena I've ever seen. It appears to be divided into four areas. There is a mountainous area to the north, a heavily wooded area to the east, a field of tall grass to the west, and in-between the three areas is the golden horn of the cornucopia sitting in a meadow like landscape. The tributes all stand on their metal plates in a circled around the cornucopia. They each have roughly 100 meters to the cornucopia. Peeta and I don't want to see the bloodbath from above, so during their 60 seconds, we head into the tower.

It doesn't do any good, the camera shows exactly what we just saw, the arena from above. As the gong rings out, most of the tributes run immediately for the smaller items farther from the cornucopia, and a few run right to the field or woods. None of them seem to want to risk the mountain range. But our tributes and Shine run towards the cornucopia. The twins each get a hold of two picks each and Oak grabs a large black backpack. Leevy grabs a belt of knives and secures it around her waist. Stephaney and Gene are sticking with them, but not grabbing weapons. Shine grabs a black metal box and a set of what I can only describe as metal bracelets with odd hooks on them.

Our tributes were fast, but now the careers have arrived at the pile. Our tributes and Shine flee to the mountain area. There is a close up of Shine shouting "The mountains the mountains!" on screen as she slides on the bracelets and pulls her sleeves over them. Tin, the scrawny boy from one, has already been killed. I guess he didn't make it into the pack after all. His brother Glide is chasing after our tributes. Shine manages to get the box open while running and I see it contains a set of miniature…knives? No they're too small to be knives but to big to be needles. She slides half of them into each sleeve and pushes the hooks on the bracelets. I've never seen these weapons before.

I find out how they work pretty quickly though. She raises her arm, seems to aim, and pushes a bracelet. I don't see the needle-like object fly through the air, but Glide has a crimson stain blossoming from his chest and he falls to the ground. The needle wasn't showing, it must have gone _right through him_. As If reading my mind, the camera focuses in on the needle sticking out of the ground near Glide's body.

The boy from four, who's name I never learned, now has one of Leevy's knives sticking from his temple. Our tributes are about half-way to the mountain range, when there is a high pitched scream. The district two boy, Marco, has sent a knife…through Stephaney's back.

I scream and grip Peeta's hand. Stephaney falls to the ground and Gene is at her side, but Shine yanks him up.

"No time!" she says, and pulls him along until he is willingly running again. The rest of our tributes have made it to the mountains and the careers turn to attack the tributes who haven't made it to the area they were running to. I notice messages appearing on the computer screen. The tributes may not hear the cannons till tonight since it's the bloodbath. But one of our screens clearly shows a list of tributes.

**Dead, Bloodbath:**

**- Glide Pawn, District One**

**- Tin Pawn, District One**

**- Rose Trainer, District Three**

**- Rand Green, District Four**

**- Destiny Low, District Five**

**- Clair Low, District Five**

**- Billy Low, District Five**

**- Henry Bloo, District Five**

**- Hannah Pit, District Six**

**- Wynona Heart, District Ten**

**- Lupine Fawn, District Eleven**

**- Ronald Reed, District Eleven**

The last name on the list brings tears to my eyes.

**-Stephaney Grass, District Twelve**

Thirteen names. I point to the list without a word and Haymitch and Peeta read through it. I bury my face in Peeta's shoulder, unable to watch the list fill up any more. After a few minutes Peeta shakes my shoulder.

"Katniss, The bloodbath's over." he says

I pull my face up, but I don't dare look at the list. I just look on the screen showing our tributes and Shine walking along the mountain path. The green light flashing in the upper right corner lets me know that this screen is the one on TV right now. The cannons from the bloodbath start firing now. Twelve blasts. That means nobody else died after I read the list. I glance at it just to be sure. The names are all the same, except now there is a sentence at the bottom of the lst flashing.

**LOW FAMILY-DISTRICT FIVE-ELIMINATED**

So an entire family is already lost. The active screen moves to the remaining members of the second district five family. They fled towards the woods and now sit breathless under a tree. I wonder why the switched to such an inactive scene, then it hits me, the game makers must have something planned in this area. As if cued by my thoughts, the tree they're sitting under starts vibrating. It's actually the entire ground around them. There is a crash as a giant spiked vine erupts out of the ground and wraps around two of the siblings from the family. They just have time to yell for the other two to run before they are pulled underground. As the two remaining district five tributes flee, a new list appears on screen.

**Dead, Day I**

**- Dawn Bloo, District Five**

**- Lawtey Bloo, District Five**

That's Fifteen tributes dead in the first day. And it isn't even noon yet. That leaves…

"Peeta," I start "how many tributes were there to start with?"

He adds the names up in his head.

"Forty seven." he says "and now we're down to thirty two in less than an hour."

"How many left in the career pack?" I ask

"Six." Haymitch says. He has a glazed look in his eyes. I remember his quell. They had four from every district instead of two. These numbers are so similar to his.

The rest of the day is uneventful. Oak's pack had two loves of bread and several bottles of water already filled, so they're good on food. We decide to sleep in shifts so that we know if anything happens during the night. Haymitch takes the first shift so Peeta and I head over to the bed. Once we lay down, the tears come.

"Stephaney's dead." I sob into Peeta's chest. I don't know why this affects me so much, I hardly even knew her. Then it hits me, and it feels like a ton of bricks. She was the first dead tribute…that I mentored.

Peeta strokes my hair and lets me cry, even though I must be soaking his shirt. A cannon fire jolts Peeta and I up. I see Haymitch with a stunned look on his face. On screen, the twins and have just killed Marco from two with their picks and a second cannon fires. I look at the list of dead tributes to see who was killed other than Marco. I fell Peeta's hand tighten around mine.

**Gene Grass, District Twelve**

**GRASS FAMILY-DISTRICT TWELVE-ELIMINATED**

_**And so the first day in the arena and two families have been eliminated. How will Leevy react to Gene's death? Will Shine stay loyal to the Mare family? How many others will die on day two? Find out next update in our next chapter!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**_Ok so here's another long weekend update for you guys. I loved seeing your reactions to Gene's death. It's going to make the first part of this chapter even more fun to write; I have some tricks up my sleeve! Well you'll figure that out in a minute, so get to reading!_**

Katniss's POV

We stand gaping at the list. There is no way, now way that Gene's family is already eliminated. Haymitch still focuses on the screen with our tributes.

"Something isn't right." he says

"What?" I say

"He got one of Marco's knives in his arm. Painful, yah, but it shouldn't be enough to kill him." he says. He has a point there; how on earth did a cut to the arm kill him? Then something occurs to me.

"Haymitch?" I start "How do the cannons know when to fire?" I already know the answer from after our games, but I want the answer to sink in for Peeta and Haymitch.

Realization crosses Haymitch's face. "The trackers." he says "When your heart stops, so does the tracker."

Peeta chimes in. "And the knife is lodged in his arm…right where…"

"The tracker is." I say "Gene could still be alive." as if summoned by our thoughts, Gene stirs from his position on the ground.

"Gene!" the twins say in unison. They pull him into a sitting position and pull out the knife. We were right. On the tip of the knife, still stuck there, is Gene's tracker. They pore the medical alcohol from Oak's pack onto the wound. Gene's scream of pain wakes Leevy and Shine.

"Gene, what happened?" shouts Leevy, obviously oblivious to the fact that Marco wasn't the only career around them right now. Keeping pace with my thoughts, Shine claps her hand over Leevy's mouth. The twins continue to cleans Gene's wound and cover it in starch white bandages from their pack. When they're done, Shine releases Leevy. She runs right at gene at kisses him full on the mouth. The kiss lasts about ten seconds, when the anthem begins. I wonder how they'll show Gene. Surely they know he's still alive, that his tracker was just damaged. The names and faces appear one after another. Glide, Tin, Marco, Rose, Rand, The entire Low family from five, Henry, Dawn, Lawtey, Hannah, Wynona, Lupine, Ronald,…Stephaney. The number of children up there still sends a pang through my chest.

Then, there is Gene's picture. But under it there is a message.

**DAMAGED TRACKER-ROGUE TRIBUTE-STILL ALIVE**

A wave of relief washes over us. I look at the list of dead tributes, and Gene's name has been erased. What puzzles me though, is the title "Rogue tribute" what does that mean?

"Haymitch, has this ever happened before?" Asks Peeta

"No, and I don't know what they plan on doing." answers Haymitch. We look at the tributes reactions. They all seem stunned. Leevy speaks up.

"Rogue tribute?" she asks, she addresses Gene "What happened while we were asleep?"

"Marco." Gene says, gesturing to the body they have yet to move away from. "He attacked and I passed out when I got a knife to the arm. Apparently it damaged my tracker." Says Gene. Leevy looks relieved and throws her arms around Genes neck. Now that the shock is over, the twins take some time to tease their sister.

"Leevy's got a boyfriend!" they chant over and over, quietly of course, but they still tease.

"Shut up!" Leevy hisses. Shine crosses over to the twins and whispers something in Eliot's ear. The twins stop chanting at her words. What could she have said to them?

"They can't both make it out this time." Peeta says, repeating my words from the interviews. "That's what Shine must've said, or something along those lines." I can hear the happiness in Peeta's voice. I can't imagine why such a comment would make him happy. Then I realize that it isn't about that. He is still relieved that his best friend survived. Our tributes return to their places on the ground, Shine stands to take her watch. Oak and Eliot fall asleep in their spots, but Leevy crosses to Gene and lets him wrap his arms around her waist. I can't help but be reminded of our time in the cave.

"You two should get some sleep." says Haymitch The cannons will wake you up if something happens, and I'm going out to sign sponsors." with that the tower elevator clicks shut behind him. Peeta and I cross to our bed. I now notice that it's the only one in the room.

"Where dose Haymitch sleep?" I ask

"Since we are the main mentors this year, we have the bed in the control room. Haymitch sleeps on the ground floor according to Effie, to make it easier to sign sponsors." replies Peeta.

"Does he still get a screen?" I ask.

"Not all of them like up here." says Peeta "But he does have the one showing our tributes, and the one that shows what the rest of Panem sees." we end the conversation and I burrow under the covers of the bed, snuggling up to Peeta's chest. His arms wrap around me. This has become routine actually, this is usually how we got to sleep back in the district.

"Peeta." I say. In response, he just mumbles into his pillow. "I think I'm ready." I feel him sit up. He sighs.

"No your not Katniss. What are you doing right now." now I'm the one who sighs.

"Thinking about it." I say "But I really think I'm ready Peeta." he takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead.

"Remember Katniss. We won't have to think about it at all." I sigh again and return to my position against his chest.

I wake with a start, and Peeta's gone. I jump out of bed and look at the list of dead tributes.

**Peeta Mellark, Mentor**

I can't understand what's going on. The elevator doors open, and there stands Stephaney.

"How could you let me die Katniss?" she asks "Why didn't you help me!" she shouts. The floor under my feet breaks open. I'm falling, falling down the tower. I can see the ground coming, it's getting closer, and closer, and…

"Katniss! Wake up Katniss!" my eyes flash open. I'm looking straight into the eyes of Peeta he has pinned me down with his hands on my shoulders and his legs bent around my knees. His face softens. "You're awake!" he says as he lets me go. "You were screaming and thrashing in your sleep." he doesn't have to say it, I know that he knows I had a nightmare. He doesn't say it, he just pulls me into his arms.

We get dressed in average clothing and head over to the screens. The dead tribute list has changed to day two and there are no names on it yet. Currently on screen are the remaining five from the career pack. Anna, the girl from two, is angrily yelling at her fellow careers.

"How are so many of us dead already! Some districts alone outnumber us now!" she yells. She is clearly the 'Cato' of this group. Clouse, one of the boys from four, speaks up.

"Some of them already outnumbered us Anna." he says "And it's your fault that Shine isn't in our pack. We were all ok with having her, but you said no! Sure, you tried to get her in after she scored a twelve, but she turned us down and now she's working with district twelve!"

Anna's face turns red. Beth, a girl from four, speaks up next. "And now that Glide is dead, and Tin was never in to start with, we don't have any people from district one helping us earn sponsors." it's amusing to watch the careers squabble. Two cannon fires turn their heads. I check the tribute list.

**Dead, Day Two:**

**- Reeney Fawn, District Eleven**

**-John Reed, District Eleven**

**FAWN FAMILY-DISTRICT ELEVEN-ELIMINATED**

Over by the cornucopia, Cloud, Anna's brother, stands over the two dead tributes.

"They were trying to steal food." he shouts over to his team mates. He shoves the dead bodies aside with his foot and walks over to his fellow careers. So now only one person remains from district eleven.

The screen shifts back to our tributes. I guess that other than the careers, they are the only ones to show some action today. They are already awake and they now sit in a circle eating some of the bread.

"So what do you think is up with this rogue tribute thing?" asks Shine. "Must be something big if they showed it with the dead tributes last night." she has a point. This must mean something, and it's no small matter either.

"Maybe they had to announce it since Gene isn't being tracked by the capitol anymore." points out Oak.

"Or maybe he will have to get his tracker back in somehow." says Elliot. Leevy and Gene remain silent. By their blush, I'm guessing something happened last night when it was their turn to watch. I notice that they're getting low on bread.

"Should we send them something Peeta?" I ask.

"I don't know." he replies " when it comes to survival, you're the better judge. Why don't you decide?" he asks. I nod and look at the screen. I decide to go out to the crystal platform to check if they're near a water source. If they are, then they should be able to hunt some animals for food there. I'm grateful that I'm the only mentor out here so early in the morning. I scan the arena and find dots on the mountains I'm not sure are my tributes.

"Leevy, Gene. Where are you guys?" I say. At their names, the platform responds like the windows in the training center. It zooms in on their area of the mountain range and I can clearly make them out. I decide to test the platform. "Nearest water source" I say. The view pans to a lake about a mile to their north that seems to sit in a valley in the center of the mountains. I don't know what to say to make it zoom back out, so I just head back into the tower.

"Well?" Peeta asks.

"They're close enough to a lake." I say "we just need to get them moving towards it." I press a button on the screen that says 'gift' and I message asks if our tributes have any allies. I remember that we have to work with Shines mentor if we want to send something. I click Shine's name and a video message with Cashmere appears on the screen.

"Hello Katniss." she says "I was just about to call you. I think that our tributes need to head to the lake in the north." She says.

"I was thinking the same thing." I say "But they don't seem to be making much progress in any direction."

"Well," Cashmere starts "I am busy with sponsors, and you're smart enough, I authorize any gift you send." she says, and with that, the screen returns to the gift selection list. I look at the amount of money Haymitch has pooled. I didn't think we could earn so much for our tributes in a day. I look over the list and come across a relatively cheep gift that would suit our needs nicely. The gift is a rock with one word, and one word only, of your choice carved into it. I order two. For the first rock I use the word 'NORTH' and on the second rock use the word 'WATER'

Peeta walks over and looks at the screen over my shoulder.

"smart." he says "This way they'll know what to do, and we'll still have money to spend on some expensive help if they need it."

I click the gift button again. Our tributes are still on the main screen. The parachutes land in front of Oak. Everyone gathers around to see what we sent them. A look of relief washes over the faces of the tributes.

"A water source!" exclaims Gene "Oak, how much more water is in your pack?"

Oak looks in the pack. "Only about a bottle and a half. And we only have half a loaf of bread left to." he says. He rummages through the pack, looking to see what else they have. "We also have three pairs of those night-vision glasses and few black hooded cloaks." he says. "The cloaks are probably for sneaking around at night."

They move north for the rest of the day. Apparently there was enough going on today that the game makers won't try anything…yet. By the time the sun is going down, they have reached an area with several trees and the mountains have started leveling out. They're getting close to the lake. By tomorrow afternoon they should be there.

Oak, Eliot, and Shine pull on cloaks and put the glasses on when the sun goes down. Gene and Leevy have started making camp. Since the three of them have first watch, Shine and the twins climb up into the trees to act as look-outs. The glasses must have cameras on them, because the main screen now shows the view through one of our tributes. About a quarter mile away, moving in fast, are the glow from the careers' torches.

"the careers must have seen our fire!" Says Oak

"We're near the edge of the arena, there's nowhere to run but a wide open valley." says Shine

Elliot yells down to Gene and Leevy. "The careers are coming! We'll have to fight!"

_**Wow I must've given you guys a scare with Gene huh? Sorry about that, but I think we'll all agree that it was way to early to kill a second tribute from twelve. So don't worry about keeping track of the living tributes. I have a list I keep with x's by the dead tributes' names. If you guys want I'll post that between chapters. So you guys tell me if you want that. So…..(advertisement mode) **_

_**What will be the result of the clash with the careers? Who will live? Who will die? What is the meaning of 'Rogue Tribute'? find out next chapter!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**The inevitable clash has arrived! The District Twelve group and Shine must face off against the remaining Careers! How will this turn out? How many will live? How many will die? You have to read the chapter to find out!**_

Katniss's POV

Peeta and I sit hand-in-hand, watching the screen. Our tributes are lucky. The careers saw their fire, but what they don't know is that, sitting in the trees, are three of our tributes concealed by black cloaks. Shine whispers something to each of the twins and waves Leevy over to their tree.

"Leevy!" Shine whispers "We're going to head out to attack them from the trees." she says something else that I don't catch. Leevy nods. The three cloaked tributes position themselves and then split up jumping into three adjacent trees. They are jumping through individual paths of trees that all clearly lead to the incoming pack of tributes. They are moving from tree to tree they are like birds, they are like…

Bam! It feels like I've been punched in the gut, just like seeing Prim being interviewed. They are like Rue. I didn't even know that Oak and Eliot could do that. They arrive in the three trees nearest the careers, who have already entered the treed area. I figure out what else shine must've said now. Coming up the path, sharing the last cloak which is clearly meant for on of the larger tributes, are Gene and Leevy. I tighten my grasp on Peeta's hand.

"Peeta…they can't be planning to use Leevy and Gene as…" I trail off

"…Bait." Peeta finishes my sentence for me. "I don't think so..."

I just nod. The careers don't have any torches, they are just following the fire that still burns. Leevy and Gene, still hiding under a cloak turn off the path and walk around the trees until they are silently walking behind the careers. Leevy takes one of her knives and manages to silently cut off several strips of the dark fabric from the bottom of the large cloak. Gene the strips of cloth from her and Leevy pulls out a handful of knives. I have a pretty good idea what's going on now.

Our tributes in the trees slide down. A pick emerges from the cloaks of two of the figures that must be the twins; I have lost track of which of the cloaked figures are who until now. Shine raises her arm, prepared to fire a needle. A bird call escapes the mouth of one of the twins. Leevy slices the cloak in half and, covered by her half, joins Shine by her tree. Gene, moving extremely fast, but still being sure to be silent, runs up and blindfolds a tribute. Before he can scream, another cloth strip has gagged him. There's a small noise as one of Shines needles kills the career. This is when I realize the flaw in their plan. By the look of dread that crosses Gene's face, it is evident that he realizes it too. The career's cannon fires, and it's like a bomb goes off.

The careers spin around to see if it was one of them. And the remaining four careers are prepared to lunge at Gene. Before they can act, a pick sticks out of the backs of two of their tributes. They don't get up, but no cannon fires, so they may have to deal with them later. There are now two careers standing. They are outnumbered, but you can see that they don't know where to run. Other than Gene, none of our tributes are visible. Gene isn't even visible anymore actually, he has pulled his cloak over him and run to join Leevy behind a tree. I take a closer look at the tributes that are still standing. I recognize them. It's Anna and Cloud, the brother and sister from two. They don't show any fear, standing their ground for the viewers. Two cannons fire, letting us know that the two tributes on the ground can't be saved. The camera shows Oak now. He nods to Elliot, and the twins dash out and retrieve their picks. They make some noise when they snap a branch, but by the time the careers turn to look, they're concealed by their cloaks and sit behind a shrub. Shine stands behind a tree near them and makes a gesture to show them that they shouldn't move. That's when it happens.

The ground starts shaking violently. All of the tributes are thrown to the ground. A look at the rest of the screens shows that it is affecting the entire arena. Leevy crawls over to Gene's side and the twins clamor over to Shine. Our tributes are making an attempt to stick together. Our tributes are starting to move towards each other, when a crack opens up in the ground. The careers, the twins, and Shine are on one side, and Leevy and Gene are on the other. The crack is now a fissure that has widened to about the width of our room in the tower.

Sensing that their allies will be stuck on one side with two careers, Leevy manages to get a knife through Anna's chest. She falls over into the fissure and a cannon fires. The fissure is now about 100 meters wide. The ground stops shaking and while Cloud stares over the edge of the fissure in disbelief, Shine and the twins make a run for it. The screen that is on television right now shows a view of the arena from above. The fissure goes across the entire arena. The mountain area is now divided completely from the rest of the arena. The twins, Shine, and Cloud were not the only ones in the mountains at the time. Wendy, the last tribute alive from eleven is also there with them.

Haymitch comes into the room.

"Can you believe we're already down to 27 tributes?" he asks as he walks in "They're really burning through them!" his slurred words are a sure sign that he's drunk.

"Yah," says Peeta "And a few districts are already eliminated. Not to mention families." Haymitch laughs a bit, then vomits in a nearby trashcan.

"Haymitch, it's getting late, maybe you should head downstairs." I say. He laugh again.

"Aw I get it." he says "The _original_ start crossed lovers want some time alone eh?" Peeta and I both turn red at his words. Haymitch slaps Peeta on the back. "Gonna get lucky tonight boy?" Peeta turns a deeper shade of red as he pushes Haymitch into the elevator.

"Ignore him Katniss." Peeta says before I can respond to Haymitch's words. We sit down on the bed to watch the screen. The live screen shows Leevy clinging to Gene. She had tried to throw a knife at Cloud too, but he had been running after the twins and Shine, so she couldn't reach him with it.

The screen switches to the only child from seven. He's trying to pull up the second family from his district, two girls. They had obviously been camping on the area where the ground split and the two siblings had almost fallen in. they now cling to the edge while the scrawny boy tries to pull them up. Unfortunately, the one sibling he's trying to pull up is older and much larger than him, and she accidentally pulls them both in. Something horrible must be at the bottom of the fissure, because even though they're still falling, their cannons fire. Now there is just the small twelve year old girl clinging to the edge. She begins crying and her grip is slipping. I burry my face in Peeta's shirt and he wraps his arms around me. The little girl's cannon fires.

I have stopped looking at the list of dead tributes long ago. It's bad enough watching them die, I don't want to learn their names too. All I focus on when it come to the other tributes, is how many are left. Counting the last three deaths, we are down to twenty four, the number of tributes in a normal games. Peeta pats my back and I lift my face from his shirt. The screen has shifted to Cloud. He is hiding behind a rock about twelve yards away from fifteen year old Wendy from eleven, the only other tribute on this separate land with him and our tributes. When her back is turned, he runs out and slashes at her with his sword. A cannon fires, twenty three now.

A quick look at all of the screens shows that nobody is hunting anymore. Then it occurs to me that, Cloud is the only career left, well other than Shine, who isn't really a career. And with the pyramid of supplies on the main-land, our tributes have a higher chance of winning. Cloud is the last tribute to fall asleep. When he does, I suggest to Peeta that we go to bed. He just nods and we lie down. His arms go around me after have pulled the blanket over us.

"Twenty-three tributes left." I say, and then sleep envelopes me.

_**Ok so what did you guys think? Remember I love your review! What will become of the twins and Shine? When there is only one family left on the separate land, how will they get back? What will become of the remaining twenty-three tributes? Find out next chapter!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hey guys. This chapter is going to have a few different POVs. We are going to get the views of the tributes this time, and we're also going to catch up with someone who we haven't heard from in quite a few chapters. So lets cut the chit chat and get to reading! **_

_**Takes place after The mentors have gone to sleep (so no input from them this chapter)**_

Chapter 16

Leevy's POV

The ground has stopped shaking. I stand and pull Gene up. My brothers still have the pack that contained all of our supplies. So Gene and I are left with nothing but our thin tribute clothing, the large cloak that has now been split into two, and my four remaining knives. Gene walks over to the dead bodies of the careers; we still haven't moved far enough away for them to get the bodies. One of the girls was wearing a large backpack. He pulls it from her back and slings it over his shoulder.

"Before we leave, we should take any useful supplies from them." he says. He's not doing a very good job of hiding his fear. We are left alone now and have no idea what will become of our allies.

I nod and head over to one of the boys' bodies. From his belt, I pull three more knives that I slip into my own belt. Gene has recovered another backpack, a long curved knife that could be considered a short sword, and a medium sized drawstring pouch. We also manage to find two spears that, even though we don't really know how to fight with, will make walking this tough terrain easier as walking sticks. While the mountain area was separated from us, we still have to navigate this rocky plain.

"Where are we going to get more supplies?" I ask. While what we found is good, none of it is really life sustaining. Especially since we are now separated from the water source we were heading toward. Gene thinks about it for a minute.

"We could try to find the careers' pile of supplies." he says "And we are the only ones who know it's safe to. There are still probably a couple hours until the anthem, and even then, they wouldn't know that we're separated from Cloud." he makes a good point. I nod, and without a word, we slip our hands into the other's, and walk down the path that the careers came from.

When the path starts to flatten out, we don't need our spears anymore, so Gene hides them in a tree. The air starts to cool down, so we pull our cloaks over us. They don't help much, but they block the wind some.

Oak's POV

Shine, Elliot and I now sit on rocks by the lake. We have just finished drinking a bottle of water each and refilling them to save. We sit in silence. No longer drinking, just sitting there. Shine coughs and stands. I think all of us know what this I about.

"We need to break this alliance off." says Shine "There may be a lot of us left in the arena, but on this slab of rock, there's only four…I don't want to have to fight you."

Beside me, Elliot nods. "Yah," he says. We divide up the supplies so that she has one of the three bottles of water, a cloak, and a pare of night vision glasses. We all stand back up and Elliot and I offer her our hands.

Instead, she wraps an arm around each of us and pulls us into a hug. Hot tears stain the fabric of our cloaks and she chokes out, "You guys have been great allies," she kisses each of us on the cheek and releases us. "and better friends." with that, she pulls her hood over her head, and runs off towards the path we came. We watch her until she disappears over the crest of the valley. We don't speak about her, and just sit and begin drinking another bottle of water.

Gale's POV

I have been coming over to watch the games with Madge every day since her parents are still in the capitol. Tonight it is long passed the required viewing time when a turn off the TV. The last thing I saw was those twins breaking off their alliance. Madge lies asleep in my lap. I smile and brush the hair back from her forehead. I've really gotten to know her over the past few days.

Madge stirs from her sleep.

"Did I miss anything?" she asks

"Not really." I say "The twins have broken off their alliance with Shine though." she nods. That really is an understatement actually. She's been asleep since before the ground split open.

She looks at the clock and gasps.

"Gale! Why didn't you tell me it was so late?" she exclaims "Your mother must be worried sick!"

"Calm down!" I say with a laugh "Rory came by to get me and I told him I'd be staying later since you were asleep. He went and let my mom know."

"Oh." she says. Her face turns red. I laugh a bit and help her up. Well I try to help her up.

We fall backwards onto the floor, her on top of me. Her blush deepens.

"G-Gale!" she stammers "I'm so sorry!" I laugh and attempt to sit up. Instead, we but heads.

"Ouch!" she exclaims and falls back on top of me. At the same time, I was trying to sit up again. This results in an accidental kiss. Very quick and short-lived, but still a kiss. She turns even redder, if that's possible. Neither of us say a word, but we lean in and kiss again, and again, until it's just one continuous kiss. We stay like this until we need to stop for air.

We are sitting up now, both panting for breath. Her gaze drops to the floor.

"Gale…I'm sorry." she starts going on about how it was an accident and I shouldn't hate her and she didn't know what came over her. I stop her rambling with a quick kiss to the cheek.

"Don't be." I say "it was just as much my fault as yours." she looks back up at me and the faintest of smiles crosses her face.

Leevy's POV

Gene and I haven't found the careers stash, but we did find a secluded area in some trees. I lay out the cloaks on the ground to serve as our beds. But we soon find out that the night is much to cold. Gene makes room on his cloak and we share it using mine as a blanket. As I get closer to him, I feel his arms wrap around me. I turn around to face him.

"Gene, we can't both make it our of here, you know that." I say

"That's why I want to spend every moment I have left with you." he replies. I'm the one who leans in. our kiss lasts about five seconds, when the anthem breaks us apart. In the sky, the dead tributes appear one after another and the sky goes dark. I snuggle in with Gene and he sits up.

"I'll take first watch." he says. At his words, I'm about to fall into sleep. That's when I see it. Hanging above us, is a large shadow. I can't tell what it is until it jumps to the ground. The remaining boy from five stands above us wielding two knives. He looks deranged.

"Your lives end now!" he screams. And he lunges for us.

_**Sorry this chapter was so short guys. I would like to point out to all of my readers who have recently discovered my story, that I can't use ideas for chapters that have already happened. For example, I can't use ideas for tributes anymore now that the games have started. Well ok time for my advertiser shtick. **_

_**How will Leevy and Gene survive this unexpected attack from an obviously deranged tribute? How will shine do on her own? Find out next update!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**And we're back! So lets recap! Oak and Eliot are alone on a slab of land with Cloud and their ex partner Shine, and Leevy and Gene have been attacked by a mentally insane tribute from five on their way to the careers' now unguarded stash. Who will live? Who will die? There's only one way to find out!**_

Katniss's POV

Peeta and I woke to the sound of screams. We now stare at a screen showing the last boy from five, who's gone mad, swinging knives at Leevy and Gene. I cling tightly to Peeta as the scene unfolds. Gene is instantly on his feet, knife in hand. Leevy opens the recovered packs, desperately searching for something useful. Her hands close around a bow and arrows, not her best weapon, but it will do. She stands, arrow already notched in place. Gene falls to his knees, a deep cut on his calf. Leevy lets the arrow fly. It meets with the boy's heart dead on. He clutches his chest and, in a last stand effort, flings a knife. The boys cannon fires.

The flung knife makes contact with Gene's chest. Leevy's mouth hangs open. She runs to his side. She appears to go into hysteria.

"Gene! Gene!" she yells "Y-you'll be ok." she begins crying and scrambling for something to staunch his wounds with, but there is nothing. Genes face is slowly loosing color. "I'll find something Gene. You'll be ok." she sobs out. "Maybe that rogue tribute thing is a good thing! Maybe it c-can help you!" she knows it's no use. The rogue tribute title is probably towards something in the capitol. It has no way of stopping Gene's death.

Gene reaches out a clutches Leevy's hand. She just sits there quietly, the energy for tears no longer with her. They stay that way for a while, just waiting for the inevitable. His hand slackens in her grip, and the cannon fires.

Leevy knows that she has to leave now. The body would be dead weight and if she doesn't move away, the game makers will send in something to move her. She picks up the packs and slings the bow and sheath of arrows over her shoulder. She pulls her cloak over her shoulders and yanks up her hood. She packs away Gene's half of the cloak in a pack. She removes Gene's blue-gray scarf, as a keepsake, a part of him. She leans down and kisses his lips lightly. As she walks away, she presses the three middle fingers of her left hand to her lips and extends them to Gene.

"Good-bye." she whispers.

She continues along the path that she had been following with Gene. She still needs supplies.

"We should send her something." I blurt out "She needs something. Anything really." Peeta offers a weak smile.

"Sure Katniss." he says. We enter the commands into the computer until the screen shows the gift menu.

"What should we send?" I ask Peeta. He shrugs and we continue scrolling through the seemingly endless selection. Then we come across something that hadn't been on the list the last time we looked. In bold letters on the screen, are the words

**ARENA MAP V2 AFTR LND SPLT **

It's fairly expensive, but we have enough to send two copies.

"We should send them this." I say "And we wont have to run It by Cashmere since their alliance is over." we hadn't been awake for this, but it was listed on screen when we woke up. Peeta hit's the button, and on our tributes screen there are rolled up papers floating down to our tributes. Leevy's face shows disbelief when she looks at the map. The map is shown on screen. And there, clearly marked, is a dot labeled "Career Stash" Oak and Elliot show less interest. The map will help them find water sources, but other than that, it's useless.

The tributes don't really have anything to do. Leevy makes it to the pyramid though. She puts all of her supplies in one big pack she finds there and ties several pouches that could be useful to her belt. Then, out of nowhere, there are a series of explosions. The live screen switches to the district three tributes and their allies. They had been attempting to reactivate the mines by their camp. But unlike the boy last year, they aren't as skilled. Or _weren't _as skilled. Everyone in their alliance is dead now. And they were in a major alliance that had formed between several districts at the beginning. Several cannon fires follow. Instead of trying to count them, I just look at the number of remaining tributes since most of the remaining districts had formed that alliance. My jaw drops at how few are left. These tributes must be idiots to keep such a large alliance.

The remaining tributes are Leevy, Oak, Elliot, Shine, Cloud, and Laura, the remaining district five tribute. Peeta tells me that it was actually two or three alliances that had been fighting at the camp. When the mines went off. I still can't believe how few tributes are left.

Six left…only six tributes left. And three of them are our tributes! They have a chance! A very good chance! But Peeta's face is miserable. My smile drops. that's when I realize that he's lost his best friend. I take his hands in mine. We stand that way without speaking for a while. Night has fallen and the tributes are all asleep. I pull Peeta over to the bed and we lye down together. I rub his back as we embrace.

We stay like this for a while. Then Peeta speaks.

"Thank you Katniss." he whispers into my hair.

He kisses my forehead, then he kisses me full on the mouth. This is another one of those special heated kisses. But this time, one thing leads to another, and the ever growing hunger is satisfied. And Peeta was right. We didn't have to think about it at all. Not even a little.

_**Ok this chapter is really short and I'm super sorry. Please don't be mad at me. I have a really good plan for the next chapter though. So it will be a decent length. Also I'm planning on starting another fan-fic. But I want your feedback first. Updates would probably be the same speed. So what do you think? Would you mind if I started another fic? If you guys want me to focus on this one, then I'll wait until this one's finished. But if you don't mind, I'd like to write another one. REVIEW**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**So my readers, we meet again. I apologize for those of you that seemed to be upset with the last chapter. And for any of you who were upset about the 'ending' to the last chapter not having enough 'detail', I would like to point out that I can't do much with that when people of all ages could be reading this story. I know some people write that way, but I don't. now on a lighter note, we will get back to the story. The remaining tributes are Leevy, Elliot, Oak, Shine, Cloud, and Laura. How will this new day in the arena play out? Who will the victor of the third Quarter Quell be? Read on!**_

Katniss's POV

When I wake up, I am still wrapped in Peeta's arms. I just lye there, keeping my eyes closed with a smile on my face. Peeta had been right. What happened last night required no thought. It seemed to be the most natural thing in the world actually. Being with Peeta had been so easy. I feel Peeta stir beside me and his arms leave my body. I turn to look at him. He stretches with a sigh and looks over at me with a smile.

"Good morning Katniss." he says. I pull him down for a light kiss.

"Good morning Peeta." I say when we break away. I stand and walk into the bathroom. Even after being here so many times, I still get confused by the showers. I end up just setting it to the gentle setting I used after my games. When I leave the bathroom, Peeta isn't in the room. There is a note on the bed though.

_Katniss, _

_Haymitch came up to get us. Apparently the game-makers are planning for the games to end one way or another today, so all mentors and escorts of the living tributes are watching the games in the capitol control center today. it's the big building next-door. Haymitch says to meet us there as soon as possible. Cina sent up your dress, it's hanging in the closet_

_-Peeta_

I open the closet and pull on the dress. It's a pale orange dress that reaches to my ankles. It shimmers like the dress I wore at our victory celebration after the games last year, but this one seems to act more like the flame in a fireplace than candle light.

I hurry out the door of the tower. It isn't that hard to locate the building. As I rush in the door, I accidentally run right into someone standing by the door. The capitol man isn't one of the high ranking people. He seems to just be someone who greets people at the door.

"I'm so sorry." I say, and pull him up. He barley has time to utter an apology before I see the live feed of the games come in on the monitor. I rush down the hall, following the signs until I burst into the control room. I take a moment to catch my breath, then walk over to Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie.

We say our hellos and Peeta's arm goes around my waist as we turn our attention to the ceiling-height screen. The screen now shows a split view. On screen, Shine is running from Cloud. She takes aim with her needles several times and misses, obviously not a good shot while moving. When she runs out of needles, she throws the bracelets at Cloud in an attempt to slow him down. But Cloud is faster, stronger, and armed. He pins Shine to the ground and lifts his sword over his head. I can't watch her die; I bury my face in Peeta's shirt and don't come out until the cannon has fired. Now the screen shows the girl from five, Laura. She is nervous, she stands behind a tree and the screen zooms out. Leevy is walking down a path near the tree. The girl plans to ambush Leevy when she comes close enough. But Leevy is the more skilled fire, and all that Laura has is a small dagger.

Laura is positioning herself, when she steps on a twig. A very audible _snap_ rings out. Leevy's head snaps towards the tree, the bow in her hand with an arrow loaded. Still driven by the hatred from Gene's death, nobody doubts that Leevy will show mercy. Laura, sensing that she's on the defensive now, begins to run. She runs for all of five seconds before an arrow is lodged in her arm. A knife quickly follows and hits her in the small of her back.

Leevy turns and runs. She didn't do enough damage to cause an instant death, but that knife did enough that the girl won't survive. Leevy runs all the way to the fissure. She knows that unless her brothers kill Cloud, the game makers will have to do something to bring them back together for a fight. Now the screen shows a birds-eye view of the arena with arrows showing the location of the tributes. The twins are on the opposite side of the slab of land from Cloud, so I know the game makers will have to try something.

The screen splits into three wedges. Each showing one of the remaining groups of tributes. As if on cue, the ground around all four tributes starts shaking. The fissure begins closing, not slow like when it opened, but fast. The ground slams into place, throwing the tributes that were on the slab of land on their faces. Leevy throws the bow over her shoulder and pulls a knife in each hand from her belt.

Oak and Elliot are the first to regain their footing, but Cloud is quick to follow. From what seems to be nowhere, mutts appear and are after the twins and Cloud. These mutts are disturbing. The mutts are dog-like, but they have large bat-like wings and appear to be made of fire. I immediately label them as Hell-Hounds. Cloud is quicker to react he is running before all of the mutts even appear. Elliot and Oak aren't as quick. They both start running without being injured, but the mutts are much closer on their heels. Snapping at every foot fall, just waiting for one of the twins to stumble.

Leevy hears the distant noise of the mutts. A cannon fires. The screen switches to the girl from five, so the viewers know that the cannon is hers. But the other tributes have no way of knowing that. The mutts catch hold of Elliot's foot and he falls. Elliot screams for Oak to keep running, and his cannon fires before he can finish his sentence. Oak continues to run, sweat pouring from his face.

In my head I've been counting down the numbers. Six, five, four, three. We're down to three tributes. Two of them from the same family.

Oak and cloud are both still running, Leevy still glued to her spot waiting to see the danger that approaches. Leevy catches sight of Cloud, who had a decent distance between him and the mutts. She positions herself to fight. Then Cloud is there. He doesn't strike, but just runs right past her. Her eyes widen in horror. Anyone who watched the our games, so basically all of Panem, knows what that means. Leevy is about to start running, but she sees Oak. She waits for him to catch up with her. When he does, the two of them are about to keep running, when the mutts make it to the fissure line. When the first one does, it stops. The mutts were designed to get the tributes together, so their work is done.

Leevy and Oak smile and begin chasing after Cloud, who still believes the mutts to be chasing them. They come across him at the cornucopia. He stands in the golden horn, unable to catch his breath. But when he sees that the two other tributes are unaccompanied by mutts, determination crosses his face. He is outmatched, our tributes hold long ranged weapons, while he only has his sword.

The tributes are staring one another down, when the next game maker trick is activated. The ground around the cornucopia begins to shake. Then the ground begins to rise. Our tributes now stand alone with cloud on a pillar of land that a fall from, means certain death.

Leevy is the first to attack. Her knife lodges in Cloud's shoulder blade. He lets out scream of pain and runs forward. Oak throws his pick, but it misses and lodges in the soft metal of the cornucopia. Leevy fumbles to ready another knife, but Cloud is there now.

A scream fills the arena, and a cannon fires.

_**Wow! I just can't seem to give you guys a break can I? cliff hanger here, cliff hanger there. Who is dead? Who still lives? Are the games over or does cloud still stand? You can find out next update!**_

_**Ok so people have been asking about what my next fic (and I have decided to finish this one first) would be about. I honestly don't know. If it was a hunger games story, it would probably be another "What if?" story about Katniss and Peeta. But it might be about something else entirely. So review review review!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Before we begin, I forgot to thank you last update for helping me reach the 100 review mark! I love that my first story has been such a hit! So now it's time to discover who the victor of the 75th**__** Hunger Games will turn out to be. Who's cannon has fired? Have the games just ended, or has the final showdown just begun? Read and find out for yourselves! **_

_**Chapter 19**_

Katniss's POV

Leevy's body falls over the edge of the pillar of land. Peeta pulls me closer to him as I watch my friend's body fall. I welcome Peeta's embrace, I'll need it to watch Oak try to survive against Cloud. Oak, the twelve year-old who is so tiny, he could pass for six or seven. Oak, who lost his twin brother to a pack of hellhounds. Oak, the little boy who must now face one of this year's most dangerous tributes alone.

Oak is smart enough not to waist time. Before Cloud can turn around from where Leevy stood, Oak is at the cornucopia, desperately trying to free his pick from the metal. Cloud screams in anger. Cloud is about twenty feet away when Oak yanks the pick from the cornucopia. The force from the pull makes Oak tumble to the ground. Cloud laughs and walks slowly toward him, relishing what will most likely be his last kill before victory.

Oak scrambles to his feet, pick held out to his side. If he misses this throw, he's doomed. He throws the pick, but you can tell from the look on his face that he knows that it will miss. The pick flies to Cloud's left and, with no more threat to him, Cloud charges at Oak with his sword held above his head. Oak starts fumbling in his pocket for something, but I don't remember him having any other weapons. Cloud it right on top of him and I bury my head in Peeta's chest.

_Boom_

I look on screen. Disbelief is the only thing I can seem to register. There on screen stands Oak, eyes clenched shut, hand clasped around the handle of a knife in a shaky fist. The knife is buried up to the shaft in Cloud's chest. No, it's not a knife. It is one of the thin weapons that is a cross between a needle and a knife. The ones Shine had fired from her metal bracelets. Oak must have picked on up a last-resort weapon.

Oak pulls the weapon from Cloud's body and keeps his eyes tightly closed as it falls to the ground. He shoves his weapon back into his belt and just stands there with his eyes closed as Claudius Templesmith's voice fills the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you, the winner of our third Quarter Quell! Oak Mare of District Twelve!"

The applause from the capitol audience is played into the arena just like after our games. Oak refuses to open his eyes, even when the hovercraft lands on the pillar and the ladder extends to the ground. Eventually, after waiting for ten minutes for Oak to climb onto the ladder, an avox is sent down to get him. The avox easily lift Oak's small form over his shoulder and carries him up into the hovercraft.

We won't see Oak for a few days now. The capitol will want time to rebuild the shattered little boy. Amazingly, it is reported that he suffered very few wounds in the arena. A few cuts here and there, but he managed to win without ever really getting close to most of the other tributes. So now Peeta and I have to help Effie host the banquet for all of the sponsors who had bet on Oak specifically. There were plenty who bet on Leevy, or the Mare family in general, but only those who specifically bet Oak's name will be attending the banquet. Well we would have to help with it, if anybody had bet on Oak. All of the bets for our district were on Leevy, Gene, and Stephaney, since they were our older tributes.

So now Peeta and I have a few days to ourselves. Peeta decides that he wants to have a day on the roof of the training center. We are staying there now, since the towers around the arena are shut down now. We order a bunch of food from the capitol attendants and carry it up to the arena. This takes a few trips, since when we told them that we are spending our whole day up there, the insisted on preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us. Once we are up there Peeta lays out a blanket in the garden. While he runs down to get a few things from our room, I set up breakfast.

He runs back up with his sketchbook and pencils in hand.

"Just in case." he says.

We decide not to think about the games and just enjoy our day. After we eat breakfast, I stand to move the dishes out off of the blanket, when I trip. I land right on top of Peeta. I feel the blood rush to my face and Peeta laughs. I grin and stand up, pulling him with me. Some sort of parade for Oak is going on down on the streets. It seems kind of pointless, since he is still being "rebuilt" in the training center. I guess it's just more Hunger Games hype.

Peeta takes my hands and begins spinning me to the music of the parade.

"Peeta!" I say " you know I can't dance!" Peeta just laughs and continues to dance with me. Eventually, I give up on getting free, so I just do my best to keep up. Sure I step on his foot several times, but he doesn't seem to mind.

After the parade passes, the sun sits high in the sky. We had been dancing for hours. I grab the lunch out of the basket, and Peeta helps me set out the meal. During the meal, we speak of home. How we can't wait to get out of the capitol, how Peeta misses helping out in the bakery, how I can't wait to see Prim again.

Once we are done eating, Peeta tries to teach me card a game that Cinna showed him. It's a game of luck really; both players put a card down, and the person with the higher card takes both. It's a good way to pass time though. When we are done with the card game, Peeta insists on me teaching him how to sing. I laugh at the suggestion, but I give in to his pleading.

By dinner time, Peeta no longer sounds like a dying animal when he sings. After I have taught him, he asks me to sing a song. I give him a questioning look, then ask in a cautious tone.

"Which one?" I ask'

"That song you sang in our first games. Please Katniss?" he gives me a kicked-puppy look, and I can't help but give in. I sing the entire song, Peeta just watching me the entire time. When I'm done, I notice that he is looking up into the garden trees. I follow his gaze, and find the trees full of mockingjays. They begin my song as soon as I've noticed them.

I lye down with my head in Peeta's lap, and we listen to their song. I am beginning to drift into sleep when a thought crosses my mind. This was a perfect day, one of the first I've had in a while. The next thought is much more grim. When things seem to be going well for me, it never lasts.

_**So a bit of a fluffy chapter, not my best chapter but i hope you liked it. I'll give you a break and not end it with a cliff hanger today. All I have to say for now is review review review!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Hey! I would like the time to say sorry for my teeny errors. So with that out of the way, why don't we take a moment to recap? Oak is the victor of the 75th**__** hunger games, and he watched his brother and sister die. Katniss and Peeta are thinking that everything will be ok…well Katniss is having her doubts already. So how will things fall out? Why don't we read on! Oh and yah, it has been noticed that I usually write in Katniss's POV a lot. It's just easier for me to write the story through her eyes. I know that nobody has said that they have a problem with that, but this is just for future reference. On with the show!**_

_**Chapter 20: **_

Katniss's POV

I wake to find Peeta sprawled out on the cool grass of the garden. My head still rests in his lap, but he obviously wasn't trying to fall asleep. Beside him his sketchbook is flipped open on the ground. The open page is blank, and I decide not to look through Peeta's things. I sit up and lean over him to shake his shoulder.

"Peeta…Peeta wake up." I say. His eyes open sleepily and he pulls me down for a kiss. When we break apart, I laugh. "Come on Peeta. We're wasting time. Effie only agreed to let us stay up here if we promised to get back downstairs early." Peeta puts on a fake hurt look.

"I wouldn't call it wasting." he says. We both laugh, remembering our time in the cave. The laughs are empty. We are both haunted by our time in the games. I pull Peeta up and wrap an arm around his waist. I feel his arms wrap around me in turn, and we head down the steps.

As soon as we are back on the district twelve floor, Effie is there yelling at us.

"_There_ you two are!" she huffs and points at her watch "You said that you would be back down here by nine o'clock! It's eleven now!" We laugh and do our best to calm her down. After gushing about a few hundred apologies on her, it seems like she's finally satisfied. "Well you should be sorry." she says in a calmer tone. "Well we best get you ready Katniss!"

"Ready? For what?." Peeta asks. Effie sighs.

"Ready for the recap of the games. Oak suffered far less wounds then the two of you did in your games. They are all ready to present him to the capitol." she says "Katniss will be appearing as his mentor since he was a member of the female tribute's family." Leevy. The mention of her sends a pang of sadness through my chest. Before Peeta can say anything else, Effie is already herding me out of the door.

My Prep team has already gone home since the games are over but, being one of the stylists, Cinna will be preparing me for the stage.

"Where will Peeta be? And Effie and Haymitch?" I ask him.

"They'll be in the audience near the front." replies Cinna. Then it occurs to me that we haven't seen Haymitch since he left the tower to get sponsors.

"Cinna?" I start "Where has Haymitch been?"

"He's been hiding in his room since the games were over." says Cinna "But Effie has been working on getting him out in time for the ceremonies."

Cinna braids back my hair in its usual style and slips my dress over me. I wear a deep orange dress that falls to my ankles. Cinna adjusts an evergreen wrap around my shoulders. He fixes the mockingjay pin to my dress and pats my shoulder with a smile.

"Your ready." he says with a breath of relaxation. He leads me up to the roof where a hovercraft sits ready to take me to…to…my breath catches in my throat. I'll be in one of those rickety holding centers waiting to be lifted to the stage on a metal plate. It's all to similar to the games.

The ride to the stage is short. Cinna leads me to the stage's launch room and takes a minute to adjust my pin. That's when I realize, this will be my first time on stage without Peeta. Every time I've ever been on stage, even if he wasn't talking, Peeta was there. Cinna leads me onto the plate. I'll be going on after Effie. At least I won't have to talk. But I will have to watch the games all over again.

The events on stage go by in a blur. The last thing I clearly remember about it is walking into Peeta's arms when it was over. Now we sit on hovercrafts going back to twelve. I make a note to have Cinna give me something to change into the next time I have to ride in a hovercraft. The dress is very hard to sit in comfortably on the hovercraft.

Peeta flawlessly guides us through the Q&A at the station. Peeta and I now sit on the couch in our bedroom.

"Am I ever glad that we're home." I say "I can't take any more capitol for a while."

"Well we'll be going back for the victory tour in a couple of months." Peeta says.

We spend the rest of our day trying to adjust back to our normal routine. We go down and help Rye and Monrey at the bakery, we spend some time with Mother and Prim, Peeta even tries to teach me how to bake a fancy strawberry cake. We are both happy to be home and laugh along with everyone around us the way we couldn't find reason to watching the games.

Peeta and I walk hand in hand back to our home in the victor's village, still laughing from watching Rye shove Monrey's head in a bowel of cake batter. That's when the sirens go off. We both stop dead in our tracks. Even merchant children know what those sirens mean. I'm pulling Peeta along the path now. We run until we stand in front of the entrance to the mines. We were on the other side of the district, so we are among the last to arrive.

A few survivors have already been brought up and smoke flows from the entrance to the mines. My stomach contracts when I see that Gale isn't among the few that have already been brought back up. I tell myself that not many people have been brought up yet, that he'll be up soon. I feel Peeta's arm around my waste, and we wait for the next load of survivors to come out…if there are any.

_**Wow. I know the games are over, but this is still a pretty intense cliff hanger. I'll admit that I think it's funny to see your reactions to a cliff, but I gave you a calm chapter, so here's the cliff. And I'm sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Review review review!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Hello people! This chapter will reveal if another death has come around! The big question: Is-Gale-Alive? Well I know the answer to that, but there's only one way for you to find out isn't there? So my goal is to try and reach 10,000 hits for the month of January. So far, the count is about 9,400 hits. So I'm hoping that this update or the next will push it to the goal! As usual, I love your reviews! Please keep them coming. So now that I've talked you up, it's time to get reading! **_

_**Chapter 21:**_

Katniss's POV

Peeta's shoulder seems to have become my hiding place when the world gets ugly. With the way our government affects us, that's a lot of the time. Suddenly, Peeta is shaking me.

"Katniss, Katniss look!" Says Peeta

I manage a quick glance at the mines, expecting to see the mine captain telling us that there are no more survivors, that everyone else is dead. And that's what I hear. The captain says that it was the last load of survivors. Gale's dead, buried under the mines. That is, if a body still exists to be buried. But Peeta's still shaking me and I don't know why he would want me to look at such a sad scene.

"Hey Catnip." The voice is ragged and tired…but it's there. My head snaps up and my arms are around him.

"Gale! You're alive!" I yell into his shoulder "We thought you were dead!" Gale laughs and pats my hair.

"Well sorry," he says "You're still stuck with me."

Now I laugh. I release him and take a step back so that I'm next to Peeta again. As Peeta's arm goes around my waist, I get a look at Gale's injuries. The entire right side of his body is bruised and even bleeding in some spots. I gasp at his mangled state.

"Gale!" I get out "How are you even standing?"

He smiles. "Hey, I'm tougher than that." He says. I want to help Gale to my mother, but I've never been good with human injuries. And Gale's is no exception. But he is my best friend, so I grit my teeth and put an arm around his waist. Peeta's arm goes around him from the other side and we help him walk to the victor's village. My mother bursts out of the door when she sees us out the window.

"What happened! We heard the sirens!" she gasps out.

"Got knocked into a wall by the explosion." replies Gale "Lost consciousness for a while, but I woke up on the lift." he says it like it's no big deal, but you can tell he's fighting to stay conscious.

Peeta and I pull Gale into the house and lay him on the couch. By now he's passed out from the pain. My mother has us leave the room as Prim comes running into the room, already wearing that serious look on her face. Peeta and I cross the street to our house, and I spend that whole night hoping that Gale will be Ok.

Oak's POV (takes place the morning of the mine explosion)

I get out of bed with stiff robotic movements. it's been this way since the games; every day I wake up, eat breakfast, do as I'm told, wander the district, go home, eat dinner, go to bed. My mother doesn't talk anymore. She lost everything but me. At least today we move into the victor's village.

I walk out the door to find the capitol car already there picking up our things. I tell my mother that I'll be at the new house by dinner. She tells me that we are next door to Peeta and Katniss so that I know which house to go to, and I walk into the streets.

I've been somewhat desensitized to everything around me since the games. I wander the district, not really paying attention to what's going on. Then, around sunset, I begin heading toward the victor's village. As I round a corner, the mine sirens begin to sound. I stop in my tracks and start running towards the mine.

I round the street into the mine area, I run right into someone.

"I'm so sorry." the voice is above me, whoever it was already standing. I stand and brush off my legs.

"No it was my fault." I say. That's when I recognize the girl. She is about my height, and her hair is the color of a ravens feathers, but what has always stuck out to me about her, is her eye color. They are the same raven black as her hair, but with flecks of gold shining in them.

"Blair!" I exclaim. We've been best friends since we were put in the same kindergarten class. We were the only children from the seam, even Elliot was in a different class. Needless to say, we instantly made a connection.

"Oak!" realization shows on her face as she pulls me up. "It's been so long since I've talked to you!" she embraces me. "I've missed you." I can feel the odd looks from people around us, but we always had a close relationship. I hug her back.

"Me to." I say with a smile. It's probably the first time I've smiled since I got back to Twelve. My voice takes on a grimmer tone as I pull her out so she's at arms length. "Blair, how many have been brought up so far?" her eyes drop.

"Nobody yet." she says "But it was recent, we are some of the only people to arrive so far." I walk with her over to the group of waiting people. That's when I realize that Blair is alone. She was an only child, but her mother should be here waiting to see if her father is Ok.

"Where's your mother Blair?" this statement brings tears to her eyes, and I don't need her to answer.

More people begin arriving. Groups of people are hauled from the mines. I see Gale walk over to Katniss and Peeta. Then the mine captain is there, that sad look on his face that means that there are no more survivors; Blair's Father has yet to join us. Her face is hidden in my shoulder as she cries. She's been orphaned without any relatives to take her in. the peacekeepers will take her to the community home.

As if on cue, Cray is up in front of everyone with a list of children now left orphaned. Several of the names called don't matter because an aunt or uncle will take them in when they're called. But when they get to Blair's name and nobody comes forward, a peacekeeper comes up to us to take her.

My arm goes in front of her body and the peacekeeper seems to recognize that I'm the newest victor.

"She isn't going with you!" I shout. The peacekeeper puts on a sad look. The peacekeepers here aren't cruel, in fact, they show most of us from the seam some sympathy. But they are peacekeepers.

"I'm sorry." he says "But unless she has a place to stay…"

"She'll stay with us." I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see my mother staring at the peacekeeper. She doesn't know Blair, but it's obvious that we're good friends. "We have a large house now, and we have about three extra rooms. It won't be much trouble to move her into one. In fact, would you go tell the capitol people at our house to get her things as well?" the peacekeeper nods and runs off in the direction of the victor's village.

Blair looks at my mother, speechless. "Th-thank you ma'am." she gets out. My mother smiles and pats our shoulders. She gives us a wave as she heads back to our new home. Blair and I spend the rest of the evening catching up at the bakery. I don't have any money with me, but the baker knows who I am and that I can pay him back tomorrow.

"Just give Peeta the money." he tells me as he hands me the two bagels I asked for. I hand Blair hers and we sit down at a table.

While I was in the games, nothing much has changed apparently. There was one of the rare hangings though. A man had tried to kill someone over a bill. The victim had suffered fatal injuries, but Katniss's mother had healed him. The attacker was hung.

Blair and I head to our new home. My mother shows Blair to her room. The only personal belongings she owned at her old home consisted of a dusty snow globe, a few old fantasy books, her clothing, and they brought her a photo of her mother and father, along with her father's journal. She also has a stuffed rabbit, and she blushes when I see it and puts it behind her back. I laugh and try to get her to show me it.

She tries to keep it behind her back, but I manage to wrestle her for it. Well she dropped the rabbit, but we still ended up falling on top of her on her bed. We both blush and I immediately get off. I go to bed that night, happy that I finally have someone in this world that I can actually call friend.

_**So? How'd you like it? Gale's alive, Oak's returning to sanity, and everyone's happy! Remember that my goal is to get 10,000 hits by the end of the month! So tell people about this story! Get people reading it. Oh and Flickchick96, you know who I am, so if you tell your friends about this story, don't tell them my name…please? So review review review!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Hey there again! So…WE DID IT! 10,000 hits to my first story! Thanks guys! When I started this story, I though that I'd maybe get 100 hits total. But it's only been about a month and a half or so, and I'm at 10,000! I owe it all to you readers. Without you, it would be a story sitting all by itself on the playground! Thank you again! So lets get on with the story then!**_

_**Chapter 22:**_

Katniss's POV

I slip myself out from Peeta's arms and pull simple black pants and a plain burgundy shirt on to my body. I turn off Peeta's alarm and walk down to the kitchen, the socks on my feet silencing the already quiet sound of my footsteps. I decided last night that, since Peeta always cooks for me, I would practice my cooking for him.

I pull the ingredients from the counter and lie them on the counter in front of me. With the amount of ingredients we get from the bakery, I know several recipes that I could make with it. I decide to make pancakes. I've never actually successfully made them without Peeta's help, but now's as good a time as any to try.

After working at it for about two hours, I have a plate piled high with the cakes. Well, what I assume can be considered pancakes. By the looks of my results, I'm still not a very good cook. The sides are a bit blackened, and they are a bit droopy, but I don't have time to make more. I taste one, and it's pretty good actually. Not as good as when Peeta helps, but still good.

I'm about to go wake up Peeta, when there's a knock at the door. I open the door to reveal a small girl with long dark hair. When she sees me, her eyes widen. They're very pretty eyes. Jet black with blue and gold flecks. It is clear that she didn't expect me to open the door.

"I-I'm sorry!" she stammers out "I-I'm staying with Oak a-and I went for a walk when I woke up, b-but all the houses look the same and I didn't have a key…" she trails off and looks at the ground. "I'm sorry."

I laugh. "You don't need to be sorry." I say "Oak's house is across the street." I point over to his house. "What's your name?"

"Blair Pell." she says.

"Well it's nice to meet you Blair." I say. Even I find it odd how social I've become since before my games. Then, I would've just pointed at Oak's house and shut the door. "I'm Katniss." I continue.

"Oh, I know who you are." she says with a giggle "Well thanks for helping me." she runs off in the direction of Oak's house.

I don't notice the footsteps behind me.

"Blair huh?" Peeta says right next to my ear. I jump.

"Peeta!" I yell "Don't do that!"

He laughs. "Sorry." he looks back over to Oak's house "So Oak's got a girlfriend huh." he says with a grin.

"I don't know." I say "She just said that she was staying with him."

"I wonder why." says Peeta. He looks over to the table. "You made breakfast?" I smile.

"Yah, but it wont be as good as when you make it." I say.

"What?" he says "I'm sure they'll be great."

"Well find out for yourself!" I say, pulling him to the table.

Peeta eats about five of the pancakes by himself, making exaggerated noises of content. He also spent half of the meal telling me how good they were. At one point I actually laugh, remembering how much he said that about the soup I made in the games. But then he was high on fever.

After we eat, and Peeta gets dressed, we head over to visit Gale. He's been able to go home after a day of treatment. All my mother had to do was disinfect the cuts and put his arm in a sling; turns out, his arm was broken. The bruises will heal naturally according to my mother, so he will be working again as soon as his arm heals.

We don't get to see Gale, he was visiting Madge when we got to his house. So instead, we went over to help in the bakery. We open the doors, setting off the bells on top of it. Monrey's head jolts out from under the counter.

"I wasn't asleep!" he shouts, trying to smooth down his long ponytail. He sees that it's us and laughs a bit. He tells us that Rye's in the back and that we can just head in.

"What are we making today?" Peeta asks as we walk in.

Oak's POV (that same morning)

I pull my shirt over my head and look with a smile into the mirror. Since before the games, I've grown a bit. I can actually pass for twelve now. Well, height wise. Other than my height, I'm still twig-skinny, but I don't really mind that. I hear a banging on the door. I run downstairs and pull it open.

Blair walks into the house with her hands over her face.

"I finally found the house." she says with exasperation "Seriously, District Twelve has only four victor houses in use. So why are there so many?" she's right. Our district's victor's village consists of about fifteen homes. I laugh as she walks up to her room.

"Breakfast is in ten minutes!" I shout up after her. I walk into the kitchen where my mother stands with a loaf of cinnamon bread ready to be put in the oven.

"Who was that?" she asks me.

"Blair." I say "I don't know why she was out there, but she knocked and I let her back in."

I head upstairs and knock on Blair's door. She lets me in and has me sit on her bed while she goes back into her bathroom to get dressed. She says she didn't want to be rude, but she's not changing in front of me. I notice a sketchbook on the nightstand. Mother must have let her have it.

I open the book to reveal a heart drawn on the first page. The book is pulled from my hand.

"What are you doing?" she shouts at me, shoving the book into her nightstand drawer and locking it with a key that hangs on her necklace, probably another gift from mother. "Don't open that!" she says with a blush on her cheeks. I laugh.

"Does Blair have a crush?" I ask in a teasing voice. Her blush deepens a few shades.

"N-No!" she yells "Why would you think that?"

"Because of the hear-"

"Breakfast!" my mother yells from downstairs. Blair takes advantage of the distraction and runs downstairs before I can finish. I laugh to myself and follow her.

_**Ok, definitely fluffy. So what do you think? Things are looking up for everyone huh? How long can that last? So I want your reviews as always. Thanks again for the 10,000 hits. I still cant believe that in such a short amount of time my story has become such a hit with you all! I couldn't have done it without you! Until next chapter!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Hey people! So I want to point something out. Blair and Oak are in fact 12, as pointed out by THE GIRL ON FIRE, an anonymous reviewer. So it is obviously a childish crush, but you can't really expect more than that. At least not in this story *Wink* **_

_**And thank you so much for the nice things you said about my story! It made me feel all fuzzy inside. So, why don't we cut the chat? It's story time!**_

_**Chapter 22**_

_**One month Later**_

Katniss's POV

I wake up and feel the mattress next to me. Peeta is already up. I don't bother changing out of my nightgown before walking down the steps. I walk into the kitchen and find Peeta working at the oven. He turns when he hears me walk in.

"Hey!" he says cheerfully. When I walk over to him, he spins me around before kissing me. "Sleep well?" I laugh.

"Always." I reply. And it's true. With Peeta sleeping next to me, I haven't had any nightmares in a while. "So what's for breakfast?" Peeta laughs.

"Breakfast?" he questions "We both slept in a while so this could be considered an early lunch." he continues with a laugh. I laugh with him. Since the games, this break from the capitol has made us much more at ease, but that can only be temporary since the victory tour is in a few months.

We make general conversation while we eat. We talk about how things at the bakery aren't doing too well and ways that we might be able to help it, how Gale is recovering well from his mining accident, how Blair has settled in nicely to living in the victor's village. Oak had explained the situation with her to us and Peeta and Gale have been getting along a bit better recently. Well, the only actual improvement is that Peeta doesn't wince when I mention him.

After we eat, Peeta says that he's going to help his family redecorate the bakery; his witch of a mother is convinced that the bakery's recent lack in business is due to the way it is decorated. He tells me that I don't have to help with that, but I don't want him working while I go out and have fun.

As we walk to the bakery, we run into Blair. She is on her way to school. It's a bit late, but she tells us that they get to go in late today since they were finishing up the renovations on the school. Peeta invites her to walk with us since the bakery is on the way, and she agrees in a shy voice.

We walk making some conversation, but there isn't much to talk about. When we arrive at the fork in the road where we have to go different directions, and Blair hurries off, waving goodbye. Peeta asks me if I'm sure about being in the same room as his mother, and that's when I realize why Peeta didn't want me to come. Since the marriage, I've never even talked to his mother. In fact, the only interaction that I've ever had with her was when she chased me off when I was looking in her garbage for food. I'm suddenly filled with a nervousness that I'm not used to. But I'm not one to show it. I nod and take Peeta's hand as we walk towards the bakery.

We walk through the double doors, setting off the ringing bells, and Monrey is there greeting us.

"Hey Little Brother! Hey Kat!" he exclaims. I wince. This nickname he invented for me isn't sitting well with me. "Here to help out?" Monrey asks. I look around and see Peeta's father and Rye lifting a table.

"Yep." Peeta says "Where's Mom?" he adds with a hint of nerves. Monrey seems to realize why.

"Oh…she's…" he begins

"Peeta!" shout a voice from the top of the staircase to our right. "It's about time you got here!" she's at the bottom of the stairs now. She's a large woman, and about my height. Her dull blonde hair is held in a tight bun at the back of her head. Her eyes squint at the sight of me. "And you brought Katniss." she says with an edge in her voice. "Well Peeta, you go help your father and Rye. Katniss and Monrey are going to help me upstairs." she practically growls. She seems to want me and Peeta apart. Peeta's about to object, but his mother is pushing him towards the other room.

Upstairs, Peeta's mother orders me around with every little detail, criticizing me the whole way.

"Katniss!" she yells as I'm painting the bathroom walls "What are you doing? That's the wrong color!" Monrey, hearing the noise, appears behind his mother.

He laughs "Mom, that's the color you handed to her. It looks fine." he says still laughing. The rest of the morning goes by the same way. Me trying, my mother-in-law yelling, Monrey defending.

Peeta comes up around one.

"My father says that you don't have to help anymore." he says. He continues with an angry glance at his mother. "He heard the shouting." normally I would protest, but after what I've been through today, I just nod. I give Monrey a hug and walk with Peeta downstairs. He kisses me goodbye and tells me that he'll be home around four. I nod and walk out the door.

I decide to go talk to Gale. I've been visiting at least once a week to check up on him for my mother, and I'm overdue on that anyway. I knock on the door and Gale answers. His bruises are still there, but the cuts that were deeper are almost healed. He lets me in with a smile and I go into his kitchen to retrieve the medicine that my mother gave Hazel.

I rub the salve on the cut on Gales arm. We talk about how things have been. Gale says that Vick had a slight cough, but he got over it. I tell him about what happened in the bakery and he laughs.

"It isn't funny!" I yell. Another improvement with Gale, is that he doesn't seem so spiteful about my marriage with Peeta.

"Of course it isn't!" says Gale with obvious sarcasm. "And these cuts don't hurt at all!" his sarcasm makes me flush, and I make an effort to be less than gentle when I rub the medicine on the next cut. It's been nice though, becoming friends with Gale again. We don't fight about Peeta, he doesn't fight with him when he's around, and he's promised that we can go hunting again as soon as he's healed. I've been hunting alone on Sundays and giving the meat to Gale's family since my family has enough money.

"So Madge says that she wants to spend a day with you." says Gale "She says that you two need to catch up." I've still been spending time with Madge, but since I've also been spending time with Peeta, and the fact that her and Gale are a couple now is now secret, we havent had as much time.

"Sure." I say "Tell her that we can meet up tomorrow morning in the center of town." Gale smiles.

"Good." he says "She's been wanting to spend more time with you. I'll tell her when I see her tonight." then my experience in the bakery today makes me think of something.

"So are _her_ parents ok with _you_ being from the Seam?" I ask with a laugh.

He laughs to. "Yah actually." he says "They seem perfectly fine with it. But that's probably because you and I are their source of strawberries."

I finish up with Gales wounds and tell him to remember to swap his bandages every few hours since the deepest once still bleed some when he moves to much.

I'm arriving home at the same time as Peeta.

"Hey." he says "So what did you do while I was at the bakery?"

"I had to check on Gale for my mother." I say "He said that Madge wants to spend a day with me, just us. We're meeting tomorrow morning in town."

"That'll be nice." Peeta says with a smile. We walk into the house. "But what will I do tomorrow?" he says putting his hands around my waist. I put my forehead against his.

"You'll think of something won't you?" I say. He's kissing me now. It's one that makes me feel that fire inside of me. But now, we know how to satisfy it. Still kissing, Peeta pulls me into the bedroom and the door shuts behind us.

_**Sooooo? What do yah think? Another fluffy chapter. So so sooo sorry about how long it took to update. But my dad is making me completely clean every inch of my room, so I don't get much writing time. But I promise that once I'm done, updates will come regularly again. So in case you didn't catch my hint, I have an idea for my next story. But you wont read that until this one is finished. I don't know how long this one will be. Fanfics can last a really long time since stories can go on forever. What I'm thinking is get a decent amount of the story in, and then start the other story while still updating this one. Just less often. Let me know your thoughts! R-E-V-I-E-W **_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Hey! I just realized that the beginning of Chapter 23 says 22. TYPO! Sorry about that. So moving on, we had another snow day today, so I had some more time to work. I'm finished with my cleaning now, so updates should be coming regularly again, provided that there aren't any more obstacles. I love seeing your reviews. My favorite thing is seeing that a new one has been written. So, lets get on with the show!**_

_**Chapter 24:**_

Katniss's POV

I wake to the sound of a mockingjay perched on the windowsill. After yesterday afternoon, Peeta and I went straight to bed. I slip myself out from his arms and get dressed. It's gotten colder now, so I pull on the soft sweater and pants from the start of the victory tour and grab my hunting jacket. Before going downstairs, I leave a note on the dresser. That way Peeta will know that I went to meet Madge.

Downstairs, I pull on my leather boots and a light scarf. I look outside and see the dark clouds. There's a good chance that it will snow today, and once it snows here, the snow usually doesn't melt until the end of Winter. I pull on a thin pair of gloves and head out the door just as the first snowflake lands on my nose.

The walk to the square isn't too long. I arrive in the square before Madge does, so I sit down on the bench to wait for her. The snow has started falling at a steady pace now. After about ten minutes I see Madge running into the square. She gets to me out of breath.

"Sorry I took so long Katniss." she says in-between breaths "I had to help my father with breakfast."

"Did you eat?" I ask with a slight laugh. She shakes her head.

"No, I figured we could grab something at the bakery." says Madge. I agree, since I didn't eat either, and we head into the bakery.

Inside, Monrey is at the counter. He actually appears to be working, as apposed to his usual slacker attitude. He sees us and gives a friendly wave.

"Hey Kat." Monrey greets when we get to the counter "Where's Peeta?"

"Sleeping." I say "I'm spending the day with Madge today." Monrey smiles at Madge.

"Nice to meet you Madge." he says. I guess Madge doesn't come here often. We each order a bagel and a hot chocolate. Apparently, Peeta learned how to make it when we were on the victory tour, so the bakery always seems to have some available. We really do have a lot to catch up on. I knew that Madge's mother had finally been allowed to get treatment for her headaches in the capitol. But I didn't know that she was not only cured, but she was more energetic and happy then she was even before she had them.

I tell Madge that my mother estimates that Gale should be able to work again in a few weeks, and that he can be out and about again now. She seems relieved that he'll be Ok, even though we've been telling her that he would be fine after a while. After we eat, Monrey says that the food is on the house, but I make a mental note to have Peeta give him the money later.

Normally, when Peeta's mother is at the counter, she yells at anyone who stays without buying anything, but Monrey tells us that she's out for the day and that we can stay and talk as long as we want. We just talk about how things have been for a while, but after about thirty minutes, a peacekeeper comes in and whispers something in Madge's ear. Her face flushes.

"Katniss I have to go." she says "I had a really fun time though, I hope we can do it again." the peacekeeper leads her out the door.

"What was that all about?" asks Monrey.

"I don't know…" I say. I decide not to think about it. Madge will tell me when she wants to. I wave goodbye to Monrey and head out the door. I decide to head home to see what Peeta is doing, but half way there, I literally run right into him. Now I'm on top of him in the inch of snow that has stuck to the ground.

"Peeta!" I exclaim as I get up off of him. He's laughing as I help him up.

"It's Ok." he says still laughing. We end up walking home, since Peeta was just going on a walk in the first place.

We have literally just walked through the front door, when our phone rings. I walk over and pick it up.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Katniss!" exclaims the voice "It's Effie. I'm calling to remind you that Oak is going to need a talent set up for the victory tour." I had completely forgotten about that. I tell Effie that we'll handle it and say goodbye.

"Who was that?" asks Peeta

"Effie." I say "We need to get Oak a talent for the victory tour." thinking about it, I realize that the tour is only about two months away. Peeta says that he's going to make dinner. I decide to go talk to my mother about an…issue that's come up involving the time of month.

I tell my mother that I'm late, and she gives me some machine that the capitol sent her. It's some blood test. The method in the dark days involved urinating on a stick. The idea seems odd to me. My mother says that I can take it here. I prick my arm on the machine. Then a mechanical voice says

_Computing…Test results are…_

_**Sorry that the chapter was short. But I think it was an appropriate time to end the chapter. I don't really know a lot about "That stuff" so it might not be as accurate as it could be. So remember I appreciate your input, and I haven't given you a cliff hanger in a while. So review for me please!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**So sorry guys! I can't really explain it all in just an author's note, but we had a lot going on here. I left you guys with a cliff hanger and just dropped off. Sorry about that. Things are all clear now, so updates should be back to two or three a week. And I have another first story achievement! Two hundred reviews! Thanks for reading and reviewing guys. So enough of the talking! On with the show!**_

_**Chapter 25:**_

Katniss's POV

…_Positive._

My worst fears are realized, I am bringing a child into this terrible world. My mother doesn't show any sign of emotion on her face. All she does is quickly explain the things that I may experience in the next couple of months and I say goodbye.

A new thought occurs to me. Peeta. I'm sure he will be overjoyed; he's dropped hints about kids in the past, and I don't know why he should feel differently now. But I don't know how I should tell him about it. I'm not worried about his reaction, but I have a gnawing feeling about it that I can't place. That's when it hits me. I'm not worried about Peeta at all…I'm worried about the capitol. We'll have the victory tour in a couple of months, and there's no way that this will escape them. And then the biggest fear, the day they turn twelve, the name of our child will go into the reaping balls.

I walk into our house to the smell of Peeta's cooking. He's just putting the last plate of pasta on the table when I walk into the kitchen.

"Hey." he says with a smile. "Where were you?"

"My mother's" I say quickly. "I had to talk to her about something." I hope he can't hear the haste in my voice, but I quickly realize that it's a foolish hope. Peeta needs to know this, and the sooner the better.

"About?" Peeta asks, a slight note of suspicion in his voice.

What comes out is more of a whisper than an answer.

"I'm pregnant." I say. Peeta looks up. He clearly heard my whisper, but is having trouble registering it.

"What?" he says, a smile now creeping on to his face.

"I'm…" I don't get to finish repeating myself. Peeta's arms are around my waist and I feel my feet leave the ground. "P-Peeta!" I get out. He starts spinning me around. He's laughing, and I find myself laughing right along with him. Just for a second, just for a slight moment, I'll allow myself to share his happiness at bringing a child into this world.

_The next day_

When I woke up this morning, Peeta wasn't in the bed. I look at the clock. 4:30am. It's too early for breakfast…what could he be doing? I silently walk down the stairs, Peeta isn't anywhere. Not in the kitchen, not in the den, not in the study. I even look in the basement, and the only things down there are the useless plaques from the victory tour.

I climb back up to the ground floor, hoping that I missed a room, when I see him out the window. He's just sitting on the stone bench in our backyard. I've never really spent much time back there, put Peeta occasionally goes out there to garden. He's done a nice job too. The edge of the yard is lined with lilies, or at least in the warmer seasons. But there is one corner that harbors the stone bench and an apple tree that was only about Peeta's height when we moved into the victor's village. Now it stands twice that size and a good deal thicker. It's branches now leafless from the season.

I walk out the back door, ignoring the cold snow on my bare feet. I sit down next to him on the cool bench. Peeta looks up.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asks me.

"Looking for you." I say "I woke up and you weren't there. Are you Ok?" he chuckles a little before answering.

"Yah." he says with a small grin. "Just thinking about…well…you know." I do know. The same thing thoughts that have plagued me since I built that emotional barrier against love. That barrier that Peeta tore down. These thoughts now have reached him.

"Peeta…" I start "we stopped a revolution. I'm sure that could count for something." even I don't believe my words, and I've never been good at cheering people up. Everyone knows that the child of a victor adds excitement to the games, and now, a child of two victors will be available to the reaping. And the reaping can be rigged easily by any powerful individual in the capitol.

We sit in silence for about twenty minutes before a stand and offer Peeta my hand. He grins and gives me his hand. We walk back to the house, and when we're back inside, the reality of being out in the cold in night clothes hits hard. The house is warm, but I begin to feel the burning chill from the snow on my feet. Peeta wraps his arm around my waist and we head back up to bed, hand-in-hand.

When I wake up, Peeta till sleeps soundly beside me, a smile on his face. I glance at the clock. It's almost one in the afternoon. I slip out of bed and shake Peeta's shoulders.

"Peeta, Peeta wake up. We slept late." I say. He stirs, but just rolls over and pulls his pillow over the back of his head. I pull the pillow away from him. "Peeta! We only have two days left until the reporters will be here for Oak's talent! We already knocked a half day off of that from sleeping in!" he sits up and rubs his eyes.

"Ok." he mumbles. We get dressed, and while Peeta gets started on lunch, I head over to get Oak. We need to start talking about his talent and get a display up, well if It can be display. Along with his family, we all now sit in our living room talking over talent ideas while Peeta makes lunch with Blair. She was shy about it, but she really wanted to learn to cook, and Peeta was happy to teach.

"Any musical talent obviously won't work!" Oak finally blurts out. We had just tried the guitar. That is, after singing, the flute, clarinet, and fiddle. The booklets on playing that Effie sent over for my talent last year helped him about as much as they helped me. As or singing, I'm no teacher.

Peeta comes in with Blair carrying our lunch. Blair carries a plate of bagels that Peeta helped he make, and Peeta has a plate of sandwiches.

"What about those carvings on your wall?" asks Blair. We all look at her with questioning looks. "He carves little animals and things in the wall. They're really good." Blair explains.

"Not really." Oak says modestly. But Blair insists that we see them. She leads us all across the road to Oak's house. As we enter his room, Blair points out one on the inside of the door. On the door, is a carving of a tree. An extremely detailed carving too. It's amazing, right down to the small groves for the bark of the tree. Oak's mother doesn't seem angry at all. She says that she already knew they were here, but she didn't know that they were this amazing.

A quick look around the room reveals other carvings. A waterfall, a wolf, and a group of owls. But there is a particularly haunting one. A carving on the wood floor under the area rug. An extremely vivid carving of one of the flaming, bat-winged hell-hounds from the arena. When we look at it, Oak quickly covers the carving back up with the rug.

Peeta and I tell Oak that first thing in the morning we will work on his talent presentation and head home. We are about to walk inside, when Prim runs up to me.

"Katniss! Katniss!" she yells and embraces me "Mother told me the news! You're having a baby!" now she runs over to Peeta. "Congratulations!" she seems thrilled. Obviously Prim hasn't realized the issue with the games. But it seems a shame to ruin her enthusiasm, so I just smile. My mother calls over to Prim that it's time for their dinner, and she rushes off with a last "Congratulations" to Peeta and me.

Back inside, Peeta's excitement about the child has been renewed by Prim. He embraces me and whispers into my hair.

"Don't worry Katniss." he says "We'll figure something out. Our baby will be Ok." I can't tell if he's just trying to cheer me up, or trying to convince himself of his own words.

That night, my dreams are haunted by injured children, and flaming hell-hounds.

_**Again, sorry about the wait. Next update should be here by the end of the week. In other news, I now have a poll for my next story up on my profile. I will keep the poll up until I begin the next story, so vote vote vote! And I also want you to click that pretty little review button right there under the story.**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Hey guys. So I've gotten a few questions about the location of the poll. The poll for my next story can be found on my profile page. The "Vote now" link is bellow where "HerschelX" is written on the screen and to the right. Sorry I'm really bad at explaining things. I'm also sorry that it took so long to update. We had some friends come in from out of town who we haven't seen in years, so, yah. So anyway, let's get on with the story!**_

_**Chapter 26:**_

_**The day of the talent interviews.**_

Katniss's POV

I hang up the phone with a frown. I've called Madge at least once a day to see if she's ok. She looked terrified when she left with that peacekeeper the other day.

"Did she answer?" Peeta asks from the kitchen.

I sigh "No." I look out the window to Oak's house. It's nice to see all of the reporters over there for a change instead of all over Peeta and me. So for the first time since the games, Peeta and I can have a normal day when people from the capitol are here. Or so I thought.

After we ate, Peeta and I _were_ going to go for a walk, but a few steps out the door and a small group of reporters are upon us.

"Katniss! Katniss!" begins the first reporter "Rumors have been floating around the capitol about your pregnancy! Are they true?" My mouth must drop open. I feel Peeta tense beside me.

"Well…I…" I can't seem to think of what to say. Before I can finish, or be further questioned, an obviously drunk Haymitch stumbles out his front door and hobbles over to us. It occurs to me that this is one of the only times we've seen him since the games. Not that I'm surprised, when we aren't in the capitol, there is a very slim chance that he will leave his home other than when he buys his liquor.

"She sure is!" slurs Haymitch "Her little *Hic* sister told me yesterday!" I make a mental note to tell Prim not to go around telling everyone she sees that I'm pregnant. "Isn't that right Sweetheart?" Haymitch slurs at me.

So Peeta and I did end up getting sucked into the capitol affairs after all. Now i sit in Oak's sitting room talking with Mrs. Mare, and Peeta works in the kitchen with Blair. She was very excited to cook again with Peeta, and Peeta had already offered to cook lunch.

As for Oak's display, In the end, we had just decided to take pictures of the carvings and display them in the front hallway. Well, other than the large carving that Oak had made on the center of the wall. When Peeta and I walked inside, I was astonished by what he had chosen to carve. In the middle of the first wall you see when you walk in, is a large carving of a mockingjay encircled by a ring of flowers.

Blair enters the room balancing a tray of cupcakes and Peeta enters with a plate of sliced chicken. As we eat, Blair questions me eagerly about the baby. It's mostly the same kinds of things that Prim asked about. The baby's gender, what I would name it, etc.

About halfway through the meal, Oak joins us. They've finished the interviews about the actual topic, and there will be a short break before they interview Oak's mother and Blair. Blair's eyes widen when she hears that she will be interviewed.

"I-I can't do public speaking." she stammers out. "I have terrible stage fright."

"Oh c'mon Blair." says Oak. He moves over to her side of the couch and throws an arm around her shoulders. "You'll do great." Blair's face turns bright red. "Hey are you ok? Do you have a fever?" asks Oak with concern. Peeta and Mrs. Mare laugh at how clueless he is. Even I laugh a bit.

When they start the interviews for Oak's mother and Blair, Peeta and I have an opportunity to sneak out of the house. We say a quite goodbye to Oak and slip out the front door.

? POV

"So she's pregnant now?"

"It would seem so."

"Does this change our plans sir?"

"We have no way of knowing how this will effect the child."

"There's also the issue of Thirteen. They want her to restart the uprisings and start a revolution."

"This isn't a choice anymore!" I shout "If we don't do this then Thirteen will get the girl and the Mellark boy. If they have him on their side, then they could still pull it off. But, if we do this, then the boy will be too crushed to perform for the rebellion."

"True, but that still doesn't change that this could be dangerous for the child sir."

"Sir, if we do this, then we will have to do it soon. Our intelligence confirms that Thirteen will try to get the two of them in on the rebellion when they tour the districts as the newest victor's mentors. And the tour has been scheduled two weeks from now!"

"True." I say "But if we are successful, then Katniss Mellark will be detained before then."

"And what if we are not successful?"

"Well." I say "Then we will have to be prepared for a very difficult fight." I admit "With the boy and the girl on their side, the rebels will rise quickly. We would need to crack down hard to keep the rebels from rising up, and even that may not work."

"Also sir, if they gain control of Eleven, then we lose our main food supplier."

"Yes." I say

"And then there is the matter of the boy-"

I cut the speaker off. "Oh no." I say confidently. "The boy will realize that assisting the rebels will result badly for his wife. There is no chance that he would risk it."

"And sir? What if the child dies?"

"Well." I say "If it lives, then it will be the newest example to hold up to the rebels when we win. The tortured child who lost both of their parents at the hands of the capitol. But, if it dies, or the Girl dies before giving birth, then it dies."

A grin crosses my face.

"And we all know that I'm not above killing children."

_**Gasp! Well it has been a bit too long without something mysterious and evil happening, and sorry that it was a short chapter. So who thinks that they know who "?" Is? Well again sorry for such a long wait. And as for the poll, VOTE. And you should all know what I'm going to ask you to do now right? You guessed it! REVIEW!**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**So today, I decree that there will be an abnormally fast update! So I love the reviews I'm getting; this story has taken off beyond my wildest hopes! Thanks for your support. So our mysterious "?" from last chapter (not exactly mysterious. That last line kind of gave it away, but I still won't say his name for those of you who haven't gotten it yet.) has a plan for Katniss. But according to their intelligence, so does Thirteen. Will Katniss fall into the hands of "?" or Thirteen? You all know how you can find out! Read on!**_

_**Chapter 27:**_

_**The day of the victory tour**_

Katniss's POV

"Katniss! Katniss you have to get up! It's a big big day!"

The trill of Effie's voice is the last thing I want to hear in the morning. I open my eyes and see Peeta already sitting up, rubbing his head in confusion.

"Effie?" Yawns Peeta "Why…" Peeta lets out a loud yawn, unable to finish his sentence.

Effie makes a noise of aggravation. "Today is the beginning of the Victory Tour. I know it's earlier than usual this year, but still! I called you two _yesterday!_ I told you that we'd be here early! Peeta, you get up! Portia and your prep team are waiting downstairs. Katniss, I'll send your team up with Cinna." Effie grab Peeta's arm and pulls him behind her down the stairs. I laugh and wave at Peeta's back.

"Katniss!" I hear Octavia's greeting before she's stepped through the door. When Effie said that she'd send them up, she must have meant that she would yell at them before she was even downstairs.

I am told that, since Peeta and I aren't this years victors, we will not be in extremely flashy costumes this year. We will, however, still be dressed up more than most mentors since we are the "Star-crossed-lovers". I'm made over to beauty base zero and Cinna steps in with my dress in his hand.

I don't wear anything near as flashy as last year, but I never liked dressing up anyway. I wear a tight fitting, burgundy jacket that's cuffed by black velvet. Venia makes a joke that, since I'm pregnant, this will be one of my last times wearing tight fitting clothing.

I also wear pants similar to the last tour and a black wool scarf. Unfortunately, I'm wearing earmuffs again this year. Not five minutes into wearing them, I find myself checking my ear for the ability to hear. I still haven't quite gotten over the fact that my hearing was knocked out of me in my first games.

I walk downstairs and see Peeta wearing a long black overcoat that's similar in design to the one that Gene wore in his interview. Tight fitting around the upper body, but loose and flowing bellow that. He also wears white pants like mine and a dark green sweater under his unbuttoned coat and a white yarn scarf. He looks up at me.

"Hey Katniss!" he says. As I walk over to him, he throws an arm around me and kisses my cheek. "You look great."

"Your not done yet!" Says Portia with a smile. She walks over to me and pins my mockingjay pin to my jacket. Then she walks over to Peeta and slips a gold locket around Peeta's neck. On the front is a carving of my mockingjay.

"What's this?" Peeta asks with a confused look on his face.

"We wanted you two to match." Cinna says with a smile.

Effie announces that we have to get in the car The clothes are for when we arrive in the capitol. Right now, the reporters will be shooting Oak and ask him a few questions.

We watch from the window as Oak walks out the front door of his house. Blair and his mother wave at him from the doorway. Oak wears a bright green and yellow jacket with feathery cuffs on his sleeves. Apparently, Oak has earned a nickname in the capitol from his chariot costume and from his various lookout duties in the arena. The canary in the coalmine.

After about ten minutes, Oak joins us in the hovercraft.

"You handled that well." Effie says with praise in her voice "Katniss and Peeta had it easier. They had each other then. And their reunion scene allowed them to skip the questions." Oak smiles and nods, but doesn't say anything.

(on the train)

We've been on the train for about a half hour, when it lurches to a stop. But something's wrong. There has been no announcement from the conductor or any capitol attendants.

"What's going on?" Effie asks an avox who's bringing us drinks. The avox shrugs and walks out of the car. Suddenly, the lights in the train go out and the windows all black out like the ones on the hovercrafts. Glass shatters in the next car over. The avox probably tripped in the darkness.

I feel Peeta take my hand and he pulls me close to him. Suddenly, we see a faint light. Three hooded figures enter our train car. The one in the middle carries a dull lantern. They scan the room quickly with their lantern and the one in the middle pulls down their hood. Underneath, is a grey haired woman.

"Good afternoon Katniss, Peeta." says the woman "My name is Alma Coin. I am the president of District Thirteen."

"Thirteen?" Peeta and I say in unison. "But…I thought that you were blown off the map in the Dark Days." I say

"No." Coin says curtly. "But that can wait. We are here to request the help of you and Peeta."

"Help?" questions Peeta.

"We are aware that Katniss was threatened by Snow in order to get her to silence the rebellions, but the districts can't continue on this way. We want Peeta and Katniss to become leaders of the rebellion. Which, by the way, we will be starting up again with or without you. If you refuse, you will both be treated as the enemy." her tone is matter-of-fact, but I still take it as blackmail. Peeta and I exchange looks, this is all so sudden.

Before I can say anything to him, Peeta turns his head to Coin.

"We're in." he says. He turns back to me and whispers in my ear. "For the baby Katniss. This is our chance at a better world."

"He's right Katniss." what stuns me, is not the fact that he heard, but who heard it. One of the men with Coin pulls down his hood.

"Haymitch!" I exclaim. "What are you during here?"

"I've been in on the rebellion since the games Katniss. Plutarch is the mastermind actually." says Haymitch.

The man on Coin's other side pulls down his hood. "That I was Katniss, that I was." says Plutarch.

"Plutarch's here to?" says Peeta "How many others that we know are in on this?"

"Oh…most of the victors. And your families have already been brought to thirteen. We had gotten them on our side shortly after the games, but they didn't want us to force you…well Katniss's family didn't. Peeta's mother was a bit resistant, but she was convinced by her husband." says Haymitch.

"Come, all of you." says Coin. She leads us out of the train. We have stopped in what appears to be the middle of nowhere, but with a word into a communicator from Haymitch, a hovercraft appears. "Come along." says Coin. We are all about to step onto the boarding ramp, when my mouth is covered by a rag. Peeta's scream is the last thing I register before I slip into blackness.

Peeta's POV

"Katniss!" I shout. In five seconds, chaos has broken loose. A capitol hovercraft appears across from Thirteen's. the cloaked figure throws the unconscious Katniss over his shoulder and runs for the hovercraft. I'm about to run after them, when Coin grabs my wrist.

"No time!" she shouts. She just has time to heard us all into the hovercraft, when gunfire breaks out outside. I'm banging on the now shut hovercraft door, screaming my head off. I am reminded of the recap of our games, when Katniss threw herself at the glass door between herself and the doctors who were operating on me.

"Katniss! Katniss!" I scream above the gunfire. I slip down to my knees against the door as the hovercraft lifts into the air. I'm still pounding on the door when Haymitch lifts me up and clutches my shoulders.

"Calm down boy!" he says "We'll find out who took her and we'll get her back! For now, there is nothing we can do!" I shove him away, unconvinced.

"Nothing? Nothing!" I shout at him "We could go after her! We could've stayed and fought!" I want to yell every piece of vile thoughts in my head at Haymitch. But, before I can, I feel I pinch in my arm, and I am pulled down by the sleep syrup.

Snow's POV

"Was the operation a success?" I ask.

"Yes sir. The girl was taken into custody before any of them could react. It was smart to sen only a small team. We got away fast."

"Good. Good." I say

"Sir. How soon should we begin the treatment?"

"Is she awake?" I ask

"Yes sir."

"Immediately." I say.

_Excellent. _I think to myself _The girl has been kidnapped from the rebels, and the boy will be too crushed to perform for the rebels. _I walk into the observation room where the girl's treatment has begun.

I smile to myself, and Katniss Mellark's screams fill the room.

_**Gasp! Ok so you all pretty much knew that it was Snow. Well this is probably one of my most major cliff hangers ever, and even though this is a different plot, I still wanted to work in the rebellion. But this rebellion has a twist! And I want you to keep in mind that in this story, Katniss and Peeta hardly even know the other victors. So what will happen to Katniss? Will Peeta go insane? Find out next update! And remember to vote on my poll and review my story please!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hey there! I am so so so so so so so so soooo sorry! This update is way late! Sooo much stuff was going on though. I went to Naka-Kon, I was sick, and my dad got pissed and took my laptop…yah sorry. But I would like to thank everyone who's voted on my poll. I will be deleting the options that are unpopular. The top three choices will be displayed. So if you haven't voted yet, be sure to vote now while the choice you like is still available! And if you have voted, be sure to check back. If your choice isn't there anymore, you can vote for one of the remaining three choices! So I've kept you all in suspense for long enough! On with the story!**_

_**Chapter 28:**_

Peeta's POV

I slowly open my eyes, the drug they shot into me is still maintaining a slight hold on my mind though. Finally, I can see my surroundings without blurred vision. I scan my surroundings slowly. I am in a medium sized, sterile white room, I lie on a small, one-person bed, to my left and right are curtains instead of walls, and beside my bed is a small nightstand and a lamp. I try to sit up and instantly wince in pain. I grab my head and find it bandaged.

_What happened to me? _I think

The door at the front of the room creeks open. Haymitch takes a seat at the foot of my bed.

"When the drugs took effect and you passed out, you cut your head on a broken edge of the door handle." says Haymitch. "It was broken off by gunfire before it closed. You've been knocked out for three days."

I rub my head, still not quite understanding. When I woke up, all I could remember was that I had been drugged. But now, all of that days events come flooding back into my memory. I bolt up, this time ignoring the throbbing of my head.

"Katniss." I say in a raspy voice. "Katniss! Snow has her now!" I turn to Haymitch, anger filling every vein in my body. I leap from the bed, numb to all traces of my head injury. I tackle Haymitch to the ground and shake him by the shoulders.

"How could you let them leave her!" I shout at him. I punch him right in the face and blood instantly starts streaming from his nose. I must slip into some state of deliria now, because the last thing I remember is feeling a cool liquid seep into my body through the AV that has somehow managed to stay hooked into my wrist.

When I wake again, Haymitch is nowhere to be found. I reach to my forehead to find that the bandage is gone. I was never awake long enough the last time to figure out the date, but from then to now, it must have been long enough for my head injury to finish healing.

There is a note on the nightstand.

_Mr. Mellark,_

_You are now considered well enough to leave the hospital ward, but due to your incident with Mr. Abernathy, you have been deemed mentally disoriented. Now that you are awake, please change into the clothing that has been left for you in the drawer and report to the main desk of the hospital ward. You will be given your bracelet and the location of the apartment that you have been assigned to._

I change into the starch gray clothing. It has obviously been used by someone else before me, because the shirt is skin tight and the pants are very loose and baggy on me. I manage to hole them up by the waist until I get to the front desk, where they give me a tattered cloth belt. it looks old, but it holds my pants up. They clip a metal bracelet around my wrist that reads _MENTALLY DISORIENTED_ and they give me a slip of paper with the code A-21. They then instruct me that this means that the A floors are on the first floor.

After about twenty minutes of searching, I find the door labeled A-21 and open it with the key they gave me back at the ward. It's a small room, but it beats the room from the hospital. I decide to look around a bit.

In the single-drawer dresser are one extra set of starch gray clothing and an old burlap sac. Curious, I open the tie and reach inside the bag. The first thing I encounter, is a piece of paper. I pull it out an read what's written on it.

_Dropped by Katniss Everdeen/Mellark at the scene of her kidnapping. _

I reach into the bag a second time, and my hand closes around something metallic. I pull it out and open my fingers. I feel my stomach tighten and tears well up in my eyes. In my hand, is Katniss's mockingjay pin.

Katniss's POV

I open my eyes reluctantly. Sleep was my only haven from this hell that has become my daily life. Whatever they are doing to me is unbearable. It has been four days, and I have endured three torturous sessions of "my treatment". Or at least that is the term I have heard pass between the guards. I can't even remember exactly what has happened. They drag me, kicking and screaming, into a dark room. Then I hear voices, sometimes mine, sometimes Peeta's, but usually it's someone who I don't know. After the voices, there is a excruciating burning sensation. I can't place it, but it feels…familiar.

Now I am slumped against a wall. Chained in place by a shackle around my ankle that allows me about a foot radius of freedom to move around. But I just sit here, head in my hands, trying to fight the memories that have began distorting in my head. Today is particularly bad, the thoughts in my head have become so confusing that it has resulted in pain. I am seriously considering bashing my head against the wall, when I hear shouting.

"You worthless slime! If you won't tell us what you know, then just rot in jail!" the door to my cell is yanked open and a limp human figure lands on the ground before me. "Enjoy your new cellmate girlie!" the guards shout as they depart down the hallway. This man is obviously weak. They didn't even bother chaining him up. I have just enough slack on my chains to walk over to him and help him stand up. He clutches my shoulder for support and his knees seem to be almost incapable of supporting him, but he's alive. The man is shaking, his long auburn hair sticking to his face with sweat. He wears the most ridicules outfit that I have ever scene. He wears dark green and black-striped pants, and four separate, plaid points of cloth fall from his waist to his knees. He wears a pale grey shirt with a black jacket with puffy sleeves that only falls to his mid chest with a dark green cloth tied around his neck. He also wears a feathered hat and a black mask that seems only to be open at small slits near his eyes. Well of course it's all torn and ripped after what he's been through.

All of this reminds me of a picture of something called a "jester" that I saw on the cover of a book that Blair once showed me. He is…was obviously a capitol entertainer of a sort, but if the capitol is after him, he must be on our side.

"Are you okay?" I get out.

"y-yah." he pants. For someone from the capitol, he seems to be lacking in any physical changes whatsoever. "just a bit shaken." we sit down by my usual wall, illuminated by the flickering light above. For a while we just sit in silence. Then I speak.

"Are you a rebel?" I ask him quietly.

"Yes." he says. "My name is Spade."

"Spade…" I say, learning the new name. "I'm Katniss." he looks over at me, shock on his face.

"Katniss! Katniss Everdeen!" he exclaims.

"Mellark…" I say quietly. This is the fact that I have fought the most to keep strait in my head. I am Peeta's wife.

Spade must see the pain in my eyes.

"Katniss, would you like to hear a story?" I just nod. Anything is better that just sitting here.

I was right about Spade being an entertainer. He goes on to tell me of the shows he did in the capitol. He didn't entertain the rich. No, he went from block to block, bringing joy to the beggars that lived in the capitol apparently, there were more than I could guess. He performed illusions, juggled, told riddles, and all by the side of a wolf he tamed named Toaka.

When he mentions the wolf, his eyes widen.

"Toaka!" he exclaims "They brought her here with me! Where is she?" I point to where he fell, and he rushes over. There is a second figure there that I hadn't noticed before. Spade walks back over with the wolf. It is obviously weak right now, but Spade assures me that she can get by on the mice in the prison. The wolf is pure white, with extremely thick fur and beady black eyes that are almost completely hidden in the mass of fur.

She slumps down between Spade and I, her chin resting on Spade's thigh. He continues his stories as he strokes the wolf's fur, and for the first time in a while, I feel the pressure of a new friendship.

_**Again super sorry about the wait, but there was tons going on here. So please forgive me. The poll will be edited soon, so check back there tomorrow. As always I crave your reviews and opinions. As for the poll, vote now while your choice is still available.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Ok. So the updates have been coming at a slower pace than usual, but sadly, that is probably how they will be coming from now on. Sorry guys. If I can though, I'll update sooner. So last chapter was mostly just a catch-up chapter, so now something actually has to happen. And I know that it wasn't my best chapter last time, but I'll make up for it this time. **_

_**Chapter 29:**_

Peeta's POV

_One week later_

"'I'm sorry Peeta, we just don't have the man power right now."

I glare at Plutarch. "Well saving Katniss should be a pretty high priority shouldn't it?" I say with an edge in my voice. I know that I'm not being fair; I know that they need the troops to maintain their hold on the few districts that they've secured, but something doesn't seem right. With only three districts to maintain, they should have enough troops.

"It is a priority Peeta." Plutarch assures me. "But, we need to maintain our holds on Eleven, Ten, and Eight. Especially Eleven since it's the capitols main food supplier."

This is my fifth session in command. They've been trying to get me to be the face of the rebellion, but every time, I have refused to do so unless they rescue Katniss first. They have made the same argument every time too. That they don't have enough troops. And for the fifth time this week, I walk out the door without being dismissed.

I don't really know where I'm going, but anywhere is better than the command room. Where all they tell me is that they can't spare the troops for Katniss's rescue.

After about five minutes of aimless walking, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"What'd they say Peeta? Are they going to save Katniss?" Prim asks with a hopeful look in her eyes. She has asked me this every day after command; she must know what the answer is going to be already.

In answer, I shake my head.

"Oh…" she says quietly.

"That's what they tell you anyway." I didn't even notice Haymitch walk up. He grabs both of our shoulders. "you two are among the most affected by Katniss's capture, so I thought that I should tell you two." he says.

Hope sparks up inside me. "Tell us what Haymitch?" I ask cautiously.

"They didn't want anybody close to Katniss to know about this, just in case it doesn't work." says Haymitch. "I only know because I overheard Coin and Plutarch discussing it."

"What is it?" Prim ventures.

"They have enough spies in the capitol prison to initiate the rescue mission." Haymitch says. He may say that he dislikes Katniss, but you can hear the excitement in his voice. "They plan to put it into action a week from now."

"Katniss." I whisper to myself, a smile growing on my face. "I'll see you soon."

Katniss's POV

_Another week later_

I sit with my back to the cell wall, struggling to tell truth from lie. My treatment has obviously had an effect. I can hardly remember what happens anymore. Just darkness, and burning. A guard passes by and laughs at my situation.

"He he. Hey girlie!" he shouts. "_Peeta Mellark!_"

The name sends cold fear through my body. The name sounds familiar, but all I can place with it is a feeling of dread. And something else too…he has something to do with my baby. That is a thought that I've held on to. I am, or was pregnant. My stomach hasn't grown at all these past few weeks, but I don't know what to expect in means of pregnancy.

The guard repeats Peeta's name. instantly, the fear is renewed. I scream out loud and clutch the sides of my head. Spade comes over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. The tight grip helps keep me sane. Spade stays with me until the sweet sanctuary of sleep comes over me

I wake in a cold sweat to a harsh clattering outside my cell. I hear a loud growling. I rub my eyes and sit up, but I'm almost immediately on my feet after taking in the sight around me. Toaka is backed up against the corner of the cell, growling at three guards who seem to be trying to grab her. The only reason that they allowed the wolf to stay in the cell is because nobody could even touch her other than Spade. She has however, been getting used to me.

Spade has been yanked from the cell, held up outside by two of the guards. He seems to have been putting up a fight with them, but no lies limp and unconscious, only held up but the guards. The door has been shut between us, but I still run to the cell door and grab the bars.

"Spade!" I shout. "What are you doing to him?" I yell at the guards.

"His time in this jail is done with girlie." a guard tells me. "His judgment has been passed, and his sentence is execution by firing squad."

Shock. That is the only feeling that registers. Spade? Being executed? I slam myself against the bars again.

"Spade!" I shout again. But it's too late. Spade is being dragged from the room. I hear a shout from the corner of the cell. Toaka has bitten one of the guards and blood now flows freely from her hand.

"Fine!" the female guards snaps. Her and the other guards file out of the cell. "Keep your dumb dog!" normally, Toaka would've just been shot, but they've tried that. Toaka is apparently very good at hiding from bullets in little nooks and crevices in the cell. Just before Spade is pulled through the dark door, where a firing squad is most likely already assembled on the other side, he raises his head.

"Take care of Toaka Katniss." he winks "We'll meet again. Think of what's about to transpire here as a big magic trick," I'm not sure, but I think he winks behind his tattered mask. "just like one of my shows." Finally, he is pulled through the dark opening, and the door slams behind him.

"Spade!" I shout for a third time. I slump against the bars and slide down to my knees. I begin sobbing and making those terrible choking noises. In this cruel hell house, where I've lost sight of what is truth and what is lie about my life, Spade was the only person outside of my mother, Prim, and Gale's family who I was sure that I could consider a friend.

What did he mean? "We'll meet again."

Surely it was just a deranged statement from a dying man.

I feel Toaka's soft fur brush against my hand. She whines and lies down against my leg. I stroke the soft fur between her ears. Toaka has shown me why Prim wouldn't let me drown buttercup. The affection of an animal can sometimes be just what you need.

I bury my face in the soft warmth of Toaka's fur…as the gunfire that steals away Spade's life away echoes throughout the jail.

I'm about to clutch my head and start screaming again, when there is a loud explosion rings throughout the prison. The door to this higher security area of the prison bangs around the room, blown right off its hinges.

"Grab the girl!" I hear someone shout. Suddenly, the door to my cell is slammed open and an arm wraps around my waist and hoists me into the air. Remembering Spade's dying wish, I cry out.

"Toaka!" I shout. She barks at me and the man who lifted me gives me a questioning look. He seems to be in a rush though, because he shouts over to someone. "Grab the wolf too." Toaka, who usually bites and yelps at the slightest touch from anyone other than Spade and I, allows the man to lift her without the slightest resistance.

"Who are you?" I shout "Let me go!" I'm kicking and screaming now, the insanity from my tortures setting in. I'm about to consider biting, when I feel a prick in my arm, and the world goes black.

**_So? What did you think? I made things happen this chapter too! So The reason that this update is late is because I have been getting ready for tennis tryouts. Those will be going through to Thrusday. Wish me luck! So please review, vote on the poll, and tell your friends!_**


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hey people! First off, I would like to thank everyone who has wished me luck in tennis tryouts…because I made it! But from now 'til next Wednesday I have practice everyday right after school, so there is a smaller chance for an update. But right now, there is one! Wow! 30 chapters already? On with the show!**_

_**Chapter 30: **_

Katniss's POV

I open my heavy eyelids slowly. Shock courses through me as I take in my surroundings. Several masked faces hover around me. Doctors. Those that were looking at me when my eyes opened have my shock reflected on their faces. I begin to feel frightened. Where am I? I can hear the doctors murmuring to each other.

"She's awake." I hear one say to another. I assume he is talking to the head doctor. The man that he spoke to begins scribbling on a clipboard.

"Should we alert Haymitch?" One doctor asks another.

"What do you think sir?" I was apparently right to assume that he was the head doctor, because the one with the clipboard lifts his head.

"Are her wounds treated?" he asks to nobody in particular.

"Yes sir, completely erased from her body." I hear someone answer.

"Very good then." says the head doctor. "Alert Haymitch and the boy of her condition."

Peeta's POV ( earlier that morning)

I pace around my room. I haven't been able to sleep since I heard about the rescue mission, and yesterday, Haymitch informed us that the mission was being initiated. Now I pace my room, muttering to myself, and awaiting news of Katniss's safety…or of the failure of the mission and the death of those involved. Haymitch didn't inform any of us until yesterday, but we were told that Gale was among those who volunteered for the mission. Other specific names were mentioned, but the only one that stuck in my head was Finnick Odair, because he is in a similar position to mine. Another part of the rescue mission, was rescuing the several other victors that were being held in the same prison as Katniss. Among those victors, was Annie Cresta.

Now, Finnick had a reputation for "Getting around" with women in the capitol, but according to Plutarch, the arrangement was not by Finnick's choosing. It was by Snow's. Finnick was considered extremely desirable by citizens of the capitol, along with any women in the districts, so he "sold" his body to citizens for an exorbitant amount of money. Finnick however, was apparently in love with Annie, a mad victor.

"Peeta!" Haymitch is banging on my door. "Peeta! Katniss was rescued! She's awake!" I bolt to the door and yank it open. Already with Haymitch, are Katniss's mother, Prim, Blaire, Gale and his family, Oak's mother, and Oak.

Oak took a bullet to the forearm before the door to the hovercraft closed when we were taken from the victor's train. He is okay now, but the tendons in his right arm were rendered useless by the bullet. He now wears his arm in a sling, and he can no longer move the fingers on his right hand.

"Are we all going at once?" I ask.

"Well yes and no." says Prim. "We'll all be going down to the hospital together, but Haymitch requested that your reunion with Katniss be private." I nod, and we all head down to the hospital together. Once we are in the ward, we pass an open examination room door. Inside, I see Gale getting his arm bandaged. I nod at him, and he smiles at me and nods back. I think how a few months ago, Gale was resentful and cold to me, and this change of attitude surely has something to do with the fact that beside him, holding his hand, is Madge.

I give Madge a wave, and we continue down the hall.

Now we all stand around the door to the large examination room where Katniss is currently looking around dazed at the doctors who surround her. Haymitch gives me a light push through the door. Now I stand alone in the room with Katniss. Well, and the doctors, but upon seeing me, they clear the room.

Katniss just stares at me, confusion apparent on her face.

"Katniss…" I venture "Katniss."

"Peeta." she whispers. As she says my name, she clutches the sides of her head, franticly whispering something to herself.

"Katniss?" I ask her quietly. A doctor hurries into the room and bends down to her level. He begins whispering something to her, then he stands upright and leaves the room, worry on his face.

Katniss stands now, and walks over to me. I smile, assuming whatever was distressing her has passed. I open my arms to her, and she flinches and squeezes her eyes shut. I feel worried now. Something happened to Katniss above just physical torture when she was imprisoned. I turn to look at Haymitch from the other side of the glass, and he just shrugs at me. Behind him, a doctor comes up with a rope in his hand. He tells something to Haymitch, and Haymitch nods. The man opens the doors and walks in. I now see that at the other end of the rope, is a dog or wolf of some sort. The animal is resisting the tug of the rope, but once it catches sight of Katniss, it stops. Now it begins pulling on the rope, and the doctor looses hold on his end.

The animal rushes over to Katniss, who has now sunk down to her knees and has her head in her hands. The animal pushes it's muzzle under one of Katniss's elbows and licks he cheek. Katniss removes her face from her hands and gazes at the animal. Recognition dawns on her face. She mutters something inaudible to the creature and looks back up at me with fear in her eyes.

She stands, still looking frightened. But, she takes a step towards me, cautiously, and tentatively reaches out and places a hand on my cheek.

"Peeta." she says. It isn't a question, and she doesn't say it as if to address me, she simply states my name, as if testing it on her lips.

I catch her hand with one of mine and bring it to my lips, just as I did in the games with her, when it was all still an act. This slight movement on my part makes her flinch away. She takes a step back and falls to her knees again, head in her hands. I start to move towards her, but she whispers,

"Stay away!" she stands back up, wild fear in her eyes. She runs from the room, shoving passed doctors and bystanders as she goes. And I have this terrible feeling that I've lost her.

Katniss's POV

I sit trembling in the small cramped closet that I found as soon as I left the medical ward. I am desperately trying to separate truth from lie. I have two sets of memories fighting one another in my head. The first one is that Peeta is to be feared, he tried to kill me, and he forced me into a romance that I wanted no part of and along with that forced me to bear him a child. Then there's the second, that Peeta and I went through the Hunger Games together and kept one another alive, that Peeta is my husband and that he is the father of my child, a child that I willingly conceived with him.

I start sobbing, overcome by the two completely separate, yet, completely real-feeling chains of memories. There is a knock on the closet door.

"C'mon sweetheart, I know your in there." I am surprised to hear Haymitch's voice. I have some mixed thoughts about him, but memories of bread and burn medicine keep me from seeing him as a threat. I open the door and walk out to meet him. He reaches out and grabs both of my shoulders. When he speaks it is with genuine concern in his voice. "What did they do to you?"

I wince and cover my face with my hands. I feel my body start trembling as vague memories of dark cells, President Snow, and that strangely familiar burning sensation sweep through my mind.

"Haymitch…" I say quietly, "I don't know."

He just nods and leads me back into the large examination room. I am relieved not to see Peeta here, I still haven't pieced together who he is in my mind. Haymitch lead me over to a group of Doctors.

"What is wrong with her?" Haymitch asks them in a demanding tone.

"We think we've come up with the solution." says one of them "We just got back the results from her blood tests, and we found traces of tracker jacker venom in her blood. We believe that she has been subjected to a rather uncommon form of torture known as hijacking."

"Hijacking?" Haymitch questions.

"In other words…" starts one of the other doctors "Her memories of Peeta were tampered with…or were in the process of being tampered with. We apparently managed to get Katniss out before her treatment was completed. You see, they brought memories of Peeta up fresh into Katniss's consciousness, most likely with a verbal or visual stimulant, and injected her with small amounts of tracker jacker venom. Since the poison targets the part of the brain that deals with fear, her memories of Peeta have been made frightening."

"There are three known stages of mentality that hijacking can bring a victim to." says another doctor "The first stage, Confusion. The subject of the tampered memories becomes a blur in the victim's mind, but the victim is still aware of their feelings and relationships with them or it. The second stage, which we believe Katniss was in the middle of getting, is dread. The subject of the tampered memories becomes frightening and distorted in the victim's memory. They loose their memories of the person and they are replaced by fear and extreme dread. The third stage, is anger. The victim has, by this point, seen the subject of the tampered memory as such a high threat to them, that instead of fleeing or reacting in fear, they will attempt to attack and/or kill, the subject.

"However, since Katniss was not yet fully into stage two when rescued, she apparently has two groups of memories concerning Peeta. If you recall, there was a moment of their reunion where Katniss appeared to remember Peeta for who he was, but the rest of the reunion, she was frightened and would not allow the boy to come close to her. We believe with proper therapy and conversations with those she truly remembers, we can restore her memories of Peeta to their former state."

I can't make sense of what they're saying. All I get from it is that one of these chains of memories in my head of Peeta is real and the other a lie. But I already knew that. But, there is one thing I need to know from these doctors. Surely they know by now.

"My baby." I say "If I remember it right, I was already pregnant before…" then I realize that I can't remember anything recent before my imprisonment. But, the doctors ignore this. They all wear grave looks on their faces.

"Mrs. Mellark…" I wince at the last name "the tracker jacker venom has proven to be…fatal to your baby. We're sorry…"

_**Such a sad way to end a chapter. So Katniss is pretty much still half sane. I figured that she should still be a bit hijacked, but now she has two sets of memories! So now we know that everybody made it to thirteen safely, or at least with injuries (poor Oak). And regarding the poll, I will be closing it on the Seventh of March. That give you two day to vote vote vote! there are currently three choices left! I will be writing the first few chapters of my next story over spring break while I am in D.C. and post the first few all at once when I get back. (I will still be updating this story too, don't worry!) so get ready for my second story! And I bet you all know what I want you to do now right? You guessed it! R-E-V-I-E-W!**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**So, the poll has closed. And there was a tie between, "A modern day, school-life romance between Katniss and Peeta" and "Another Peeta x Katniss story but with a completely different story line (so basically the events of the aftermath never happened." **_

_**I would like to thank everybody that voted on my poll, but since there was a tie, I will be making the deciding vote. Now, I haven't decided yet, so you will all find out when I post the first few chapters of the new story when I return from my vacation. So until then, you can enjoy this story. Now, since I won't be updating while I'm on vacation, this may be the last update until I get back. I will try to get at least one more in after this though. **_

_**So now that you know how things are going to work, we will continue with our story.**_

_**Chapter 31:**_

_The next day_

Peeta's POV

Yesterday, after Katniss fled the room, I was dismissed from the ward and I was allowed to return to my compartment. Not ten minutes had passed after that, when I received the worst news, other than Katniss's mental situation, of my life. Our baby is dead. I was in a state of shock, and I have not spoken to anyone since then.

Now, I am on my way to the dining hall, where I dread the pitiful stares I am most-likely going to receive from every citizen of thirteen. As I enter the dining hall, I can already feel a few glances from people. News apparently travels very fast here. I accept my bowl of turnips and stale bread in silence, ignoring the pitiful gaze from the server, and walk over to my assigned table. I sit with the hawthorns, my mother, father, and brothers, Madge, Oak and his mother, Blair, and the Everdeens.

Prim sits immediately to my right, and when I am settled in my seat, I feel her hand on mine.

"Are you doing okay Peeta?" Prim asks quietly. I look up from my bowl, and I see the pity that I hear in Prim's voice on the face of everyone at our table. Oak, who sit's at my left, awkwardly pats my shoulder with his now crippled hand.

I really feel terrible about that. I can't help but feel some responsibility for Oak's injury. It was my episode of insanity that delayed the hovercraft that we were escaping on. If I had just gotten on the hovercraft, Oak would still be able to mover the fingers on his hand.

"I'm fine…" I say unconvincingly. But what does it matter how convincing I sound? We all know that I'm the farthest possible thing from okay. My wife has two different memories of me with one of them being threatening, and our baby was killed by tracker jacker venom.

As if reading my thoughts, Gale responds. "C'mon Mellark," he says "we all know you're in bad shape." he doesn't say this in a nasty tone, he genuinely sounds concerned. I just shake my head and eat another bite of turnips. We continue the res of our meal in silence. The only noise is the occasional clatter from Oak's silverware as he tries to get used to using his left hand.

But after a while, just as we're getting up from the table, I feel a tug on my sleeve. I look down and I see Posy Hawthorn looking back up at me. She doesn't say anything, but she gives me a sad look, and hugs me legs.

"Everything will be okay." I hear her whisper. Then she scampers off to join her family.

Katniss's POV

I've been in the hospital for some time now, just lying in bed as doctors hover around me, running tests that I can't understand. They do things like ask me to remember as far back as I can before my imprisonment, shine a little light in my eyes, and make me say everything I can about my experience in the games.

From what I've heard from their murmurs, they are confused because the only hijacked memories seem to be those of Peeta.

"Katniss," one of them asks me "you seem to be doing a bit better when you try to think of Peeta, do you think you could meet with him again?" I don't know how I should respond. I really don't think I can, but if this is the only way I can get better, I feel that I should do it. I give a slight nod, and the doctors leave the room.

"We'll have him come to you." one of the doctors says on the way out. I feel the nerves set in. I don't want to see Peeta. I might start acting crazy again. But, they are right. I have been doing a lot better when I try to remember Peeta. Sure, I still don't know which memories are real, but I can say his name without going into spasms of fear.

I decide to nap until they send him in, and the one thought on my mind as I slip into sleep, is that no matter what the truth is, I want to remember.

Peeta's POV

"What?" I ask the doctor in disbelief.

"We would like you to meet with Katniss." he says "so we can study her reactions around you, and, if you can, we want you to try and sort out her memories."

"How do I do that?" I ask

"Well," he says "if she can act normally around you, we were going to have you two watch a taping of your games. Then, while you are watching, she can point out what she is confused about. It appears that her biggest confusions are the events of your games."

I nod, and the doctor starts leading me down to the hospital ward.

When we arrive at the door, the doctor motions for me to stay out in the hall for now. He opens the door and pokes his head in.

"Katniss," he says "We're going to let Peeta in now." he turns to me and tells me that I can go in now. I take a deep breath, and walk into the small hospital room. Katniss just sits on her bed, looking at me.

"Hello." I say cautiously. When I get closer to her bed, she flinches a bit, but she responds.

"Hello Peeta." she says quietly. We just look at each other for a few seconds, and Katniss pats the open foot of her bed. "Do you want to sit down?" she asks.

I nod, and sit next to her. "How much about me do you remember for sure, Katniss?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

"Almost nothing." she says "But I have cleared up that you are my husband, but I sill am not sure how that happened."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know whether or not we're married because of the capitol, or because I wanted to marry you." she explains.

"Both." I say immediately. "It started out as a marriage for the capitol, but before the wedding, you told me that you weren't just doing it for the capitol anymore."

"That's what Haymitch said…"she says.

"Peeta!" the doctor says from the doorway. He is rolling in a small television on wheels. "since Katniss seems okay, we want you two to watch the games together. Katniss, tell Peeta all of your confusions okay?"

Katniss nods, and the doctor flicks the screen on. We are immediately shown the reapings. The reapings pass by, and Katniss doesn't say anything, so she must be all clear on how that happened. Since this is a version edited by the doctors, the only other things shown before the actual games, are the chariot rides and our interviews, both of which Katniss seems clear on.

Now we see the ring of tributes entering the arena. Katniss's first question comes now.

"Peeta…you shook your head to keep me from running to the cornucopia." she says. Not really a question, just a clarification. I nod, and look back at the screen. I gulp, not looking forward to reliving the games with Katniss.

_**Okay, not much of a chapter, and definitely not one of my better ones, but I didn't have a lot of time to write. I promise something will happen when I get back from D.C. and I promise to have the first few chapters of the new story ready by then too. If you want the exact results of the poll, you can check back to it on my profile. You can't vote anymore, but you can see results. So until next time, I bid you goodbye.**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**I am so so so so SO, sorry! I haven't updated in so long! My computer screen broke and it took way too long to get it fixed! Anyway, I would like to point out that two chapters of my new story are up. You can find it on my profile. It's been so long, so let's review. Last off, Katniss and Peeta began reliving their hunger games in hopes of restoring Katniss's memories of Peeta, and Katniss's current mental situation appears to be off and on. We last saw her relatively sane, but recently before that, she fled and hid at the mention of Peeta. Will Katniss be cured? You must read on to find your answer.**_

_**Chapter 32:**_

_**Peeta's POV**_

I gulp, now unsure about this plan, as the bloodbath unfolds onscreen. We've already seen this replay of our games once before, after we won, but this is an unedited version obtained by Plutarch's capitol spies. That means that every rebellious word, every action made by Katniss and I is on this tape. The last thing on screen before the gong rings out, is a split-screen view of Katniss and I, a shot most likely inspired by the "Star-crossed-lovers" image we had obtained during our first interviews.

The gong rings out, and the camera pans out so that Katniss's image is taking up the entire screen. I watch as she runs for the bright orange pack that lies about halfway up the pile of supplies. Even now, it is hard for me to watch Katniss put herself into danger like that, even though I know that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

The camera switches angles so that it is behind the boy from nine, who now grapples with Katniss for the pack. I can feel Katniss flinch beside me as Clove's first knife lodges into the boy's back. A look of terror crosses Katniss's face, and she bolts just as Clove hurls a second knife, aimed directly at Katniss's head.

After the knife lodges in the bright orange pack, and Katniss has fled into the woods, the camera switches to me. I had taken the risk of running up to the pile of supplies in an attempt to retrieve some kind of weapon. I have just grabbed a long bladed knife, when Cato grabs me from behind and pins me to the ground.

"Hey lover boy." Snarls Cato, a wicked grin on his face. Clove and the pair from District One have joined him now.

"So are you going to finish him or what?" Glimmer asks impatiently.

"Calm down." Cato says, an annoyed tone in his voice. "He's our best chance at finding that girl."

Beside me, Katniss asks in an unsure voice, "he's…talking about me?" I nod my head. "Why? Why do they want to target me?" she continues.

"You don't remember?" I ask. "You got an eleven in training. Outscoring the careers must have drove them crazy." she nods, and we turn back to the screen.

After the careers had me team up with them, the editors cut out the rest until Katniss hears Rue scream. Up until then, none of the footage could've helped Katniss remember anything. When Katniss sees herself onscreen, placing the flowers over Rue's body, she begins to tear up. I can't stand seeing her like this. So sad, tortured, and alone. And I can't do anything to help her without risking another hijacking induced panic attack.

The film continues on, and Katniss doesn't have any other major questions. Her next reaction comes when the wolf-like mutts appear onscreen. She flinches at the sight of them and hides under her blanket. When the mutts have fled, and Cato has been lifted from the arena, I gently pull the blanket from over her and tell her ht they're gone. She freezes when she sees us onscreen, hands outstretched, glistening berries exposed in our palms.

"Nightlock…" she whispers. I can't really think of anything to say here, so we let the moment pass.

Katniss speaks again when the last scene of the tape plays. It shows Katniss throwing herself against the glass door that separates her from the doctors and I. She stares at the screen in silence after the screen has gone black. Her words are barley above a whisper when she speaks.

"I must have really loved you…" I can tell by her expression that she is on the verge of tears.

A doctor comes in and stands between us and the now dark television.

"Katniss?" he asks. "Are you feeling okay?" Katniss nods. "Okay then, Peeta." he continues. "you can go now."

"No!" Katniss blurts out beside me. Both the doctor and turn to look at her. "He needs to stay!" she continues. "I can't sort out these memories without him!" the doctor switches his gaze to me.

"Peeta? Is this okay with you." he asks me.

"Of course it is." I respond automatically. "I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

_**Snow's POV**_

"What! What do you mean they got her out?" I shout.

"I'm sorry sir…" the attendant mumbles. "But we did not expect them to act so soon, and the treatment was only about forty percent completed."

"Forty!" I shout. "With so little done, she could already have been rehabilitated! And, from what I understand, the rescue fleet was rather small. How on earth could you not fight off such a small force."

"Well sir," begins another attendant, "there were two major factors in that. For one, we were caught very off guard when one of the prisoners to be executed apparently vanished from the gallows before he was hung. Before we knew it, he had slit the throats of his guards and fled the prison. It also appears that one of the rebel weapon developers created a very effective gas. It did not kill, but it caused extremely violent hallucinations. Apparently, he is very close to Mrs. Mellark. We have his picture here."

A smile crosses my lips when I see the face on the picture. I have found my window to controlling the rebels again. And this time, I don't intend to let it slip through my fingers.

"I see…" I say. "Well, it appears our next plan has been handed to us." I turn my gaze back to the photo in my hand and laugh.

"Sir?" asks the attendant.

"Organize a team of spies. Get them into thirteen and have them bring us this man." I say, . As the attendants leave, I grin to myself.

"Well then." I whisper. I turn my gaze to the picture. "You have just become our new chokehold on the rebels…Mr. Hawthorn."

_**Oh! Okay, so again, I am so sorry. The computer was broken, and I have tennis practice every single day after school. But, I pulled this together just for you! And as we speak, the next chapter in "Pearl and Mockingjay" is underway! So please, forgive me. I'll do my best to update faster.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Hey. I am here on Sunday to update. For those of you who do not Read "Pearl and Mockingjay", you did not see my notice that Sunday will be update day for the rest of April. So we last left off with some shocking news. For one thing, Spade apparently escaped his execution in the capitol prison before the rescue. We also learned something rather unsettling. Pres. Snow has a new target. Gale Hawthorne. **_

_**Chapter 33: **_

_**One month later**_

_**Peeta's POV**_

I open my eyes to the soft light seeping through the small window that lies above ground. I rub my eyes, still drowsy with sleep, and turn to the resting figure beside me. After weeks of rehabilitation, Katniss seems to have completely sorted out what is fake and what is real. The head doctor had informed me that it could have been much worse. Katniss could have been damaged beyond repair, but we got her out so much sooner than the capitol expected, and it was relatively simple to heal her mind. She is still viewed as mentally disoriented, but she is free to live with me in our compartment. As for the wolf, Toaka, she was allowed to stay, but she must stay outside during the day like Prim's cat. Luckily, they seem to get along.

I reach out to shake her shoulder, but the look on her face is so sweet, so innocent. She hasn't looked like this, even in sleep, in so long. I let her be. I stretch my arms up above me head and yawn. Just as I'm sliding on the gray, government issued shirt over my head, when there is a quiet knock at the door. I pad silently to the door in my socks, careful to let Katniss rest.

I push the door open, and Prim's small figure stands before me. I put a finger to my lips and gesture over to Katniss. Prim nods and gestures for me to bend down to her level.

"Mother wants to know if Katniss is still having nightmares." Prim whispers to me. That has been the one remnant of the hijacking that has stick around. At least once a night, Katniss has woken with a shout, jumped out of bed, and huddle in a ball at the corner of the room until I could console her.

Something clicks in my mind. I realize, that last night, there were none. Not a single shout, not even a whimper out of Katniss all night. I look back at Prim.

"Well…she has been most nights," I say, "but, last night she was fine."

"Really?" Prim says hopefully. She spontaneously wraps her frail arms around me. "She's getting better Peeta!" she squeals. She scampers off in excitement down the hall, no doubt to inform her mother. Behind me, I hear Katniss yawn.

"Peeta?" she yawns, rubbing one eye.

"Good morning." I say with a smile. I walk over to her, and she gives me a light kiss. That's another thing. Katniss shows no more fear of me. She has even fallen back into the simple romantic gestures that we used to do. A light kiss, holding hands as we walk, wrapping her arms around me while we sleep.

I brush her loose hair out from in front of her face.

"We have to get our schedules." I say with slight sadness. A frown crosses her face. Neither of us really enjoy having such a time constricted day.

We walk over to the contraption by our door, and each stick our arms in. we both look at our arms.

"Production." Katniss groans. I don't even have to confirm with her. If one of us has it, we both do.

"More propos?" I ask her with a laugh.

We're about to open the door to head to command, when there's a knock. I pull it open.

"Plutarch?" I ask, perplexed. His face is reddish, and he's panting. He obviously was in a hurry to get to us.

"You two…" he pants. "Come with me." we aren't really in any position to question him, so we both follow Plutarch through the narrow, underground halls. He leads us down paths that I've never been down. Up several flights of stairs, a handful of security checkpoints, and up an elevator. When the elevator doors slide open, we are outside. Katniss and I can't help going wide-eyed. It has been so long since we've seen the sun.

We probably would have gazed at the sky all day, if Plutarch hadn't jerked our shoulders so that we are facing the horizon. Heading towards us, is a single figure. I don't recognize the man. In fact, all I can even make out is that he wears some odd costume. However, the effect on Katniss is immediate. She runs for the figure.

"Spade!" she shouts. I run after her. When I have caught up, I can see the man's more distinctive features. Aside from his bizarre outfit, he has long, shaggy, reddish auburn hair that falls in jagged ends. He is very slim, but it looks as if it id from hunger, not body shape. But the worst part is not his starved appearance, or even the fact that he hobbles with a painful looking limp. This man, who Katniss call Spade, is covered in bloody gashes.

I don't even question him, I wrap one of his arms around my shoulder, and I see Katniss do the same with the other arm. We assist him back over to Plutarch. I now notice the medical team that is here, readily waiting to assist Spade. Katniss rushes to me once a nurse has taken Spade. She wraps her arms around me tightly and begins sobbing into my shirt.

"It's him!" she cries. "This is him, Peeta! The one who was with me in the prison! The owner of the wolf! I thought he was dead!" she can't get anything else out, because she has started sobbing violently into my shirt.

Plutarch informs us that due to Katniss's condition, we are freed from our schedule for the rest of the day. I stroke Katniss's hair soothingly and whisper calming words to her as I lead her back to the apartment.

"It's okay Katniss." I whisper. "Plutarch said he would send for us when we can see him. He's going to be fine."

Back in our compartment, I lay with an arm around Katniss in the bed. She still whimpers occasionally, but when things go silent, she begins to sing. A sad tone in her voice.

_**The sunflower in the moonlight**_

_**Tall and straight and bright**_

_**Promises a brand new day **_

_**Will come and light the night**_

_**The Sunflower in the Spring**_

_**Sprouting, Fresh and new**_

_**Promises that what you dream**_

_**Can and will come true**_

_**The Sunflower in the Summer**_

_**Standing tall and Strong**_

_**Tells that things will be alright**_

_**Even when things seem wrong**_

_**The Sunflower in the Autumn**_

_**Starting to loose it's light**_

_**But it still stands with you**_

_**Trying to make you feel alright**_

_**The Sunflower in the Winter**_

_**Wilted, dead, and gone,**_

_**But then you know it will come anew **_

_**When it's seed sprouts along**_

_**The Sunflower has lived and died**_

_**It's circle is complete**_

_**But it has helped you find your strength**_

_**It helped you find your feet.**_

Katniss wipes her eyes.

"Spade would sing that song…whenever I started to lose it." she says quietly.

I pull her closer. "Katniss," I say "He's going to be okay. Why don't you take a nap?" she nods, and lies down. I rub her back until her breathing slows, and I know that she's asleep.

As soon as I'm sure that she's asleep, I dash out the door. I remember Haymitch showing me the garden they have here, underground. I run for the garden, and when I get to the checkpoint, I explain the situation to the guard. Normally, it seems as if this wouldn't be allowed. But, the guard seems to sympathize with me, and hands me a small blue pot. I run into the garden, desperately searching for it. When I find it, I scoop it up and replant it in the small pot.

I hurry back to our room, and set the plant on the nightstand by our bed. Luckily, we have a high enough ceiling for the plant to stand. I lie down beside Katniss and kiss her forehead. I fall into a gentle sleep beside her, the bright sunflower watching over Katniss.

_**Okay, so a bit short. But, next time will be better, I promise. So how did you like my song? Yeah, I wrote that on the spot so I don't know how good it is. So please, review my story!**_


	34. Chapter 34

**I am soooo sorry! Two weeks and no update! You all must hate me :'( one week was Passover and the next my dad took my computer. I am so sorry for those of you who didn't get the chain message I had flickchic try and start. I tried to let you know, but sometimes it just doesn't get to everybody. Sorry!**

**Chapter 34**

**Katniss's POV**

_I smell blood, and my eyes snap open. Where am I? I'm not in my bed with Peeta, but in a dark, lightless room. I feel around with my hands, and find that the walls are constructed out of bars. _

"_Katniss" an eerie voice drones out. My head snaps around to see what lies behind me. A small light now illuminates the barred room. The figure behind me makes me want to scream and cry at the same time. His festive outfit covered in large bloody gashes, a sleeve missing as well. His slim mask is gone, revealing hollow eyes that bore into me. He's on his knees, moving towards me. Spade._

_He begins to change, shrinking in size, his clothing swallowing him up until they lie in a heap over whatever he has become. The pile of ragged clothes bursts into flames and one of those terrible hellhounds that killed Elliot in the arena bursts out. I scream, and just as it's claws dig into my skin…_

"Katniss!" my eyes snap open and I sit up. Peeta's hands clasp my shoulders and my hands are clenched into tight fists.

I don't say anything, I just wrap my arms around Peeta and pull him close. I cry into his bare chest until I can't squeeze a single tear more out of my eyes. I let go of Peeta, and he extends his arms so that hi holding me at arms length. He raises his eyebrows at me knowingly. I rub my eyes.

"I'm fine, Peeta." I get out. I slip off of the bed and walk over to the wall. I stick my arm into the strange machine to get my schedule. I turn to Peeta. "Are you coming to breakfast?"

At breakfast, we sit with Peeta's, Mine, Gale's, and Oak's family. Madge is with us as well, but for some reason, her family has not joined us. Oak's eyes are cast down. The move to thirteen and the rebellion, the atmosphere in general, seem to have caused Oak to go into a depression. Prim told me that our mother has been treating him, and the main cause actually seems to be that the numbness over loosing Elliot has finally faded. Blaire pats his shoulder, trying to console him. Her little crush on him aside, she just wants him to be the bright, happy person he used to be.

Madge seems to be in a state as well. In fact, a few minutes into the meal, she begins crying. Gale puts an arm around her shoulder, a concerned look in his eyes. He leads her away from the table and begins trying to calm her down. I have a tugging feeling that it has something to do with what happened back in the districts.

It happened so quickly from my point of view, but when Madge was led off by that peacekeeper, I'm sure something was wrong.

The meal moves very slowly. With all of the sadness in the air, the fact that Peeta's mother still shoots me dirty looks, the ominous absence of Madge's parents. Afterward, Madge pulls me aside. Gale pats Peeta on the shoulder and tells him to let us be for now. I give them both a small wave and turn back to Madge.

"What is it?" I ask. "Why weren't your parents here today?" Madge's eyes are brimming with tears again as she speaks.

"Th-they're…in the hospital." she says quietly.

"What? Why?" I exclaim. I know Madge's mother had those headaches, but she was cured wasn't she? And her father, why, he was always in good health.

"Oh, my father's fine." she says "He's with my mother though. But her…she…she…she had a reaction to the headache medication they gave her back in twelve. She seemed fine for a while, but a bit before we came here, she got sick. That's why I had to leave the bakery with that peacekeeper. And now…she's…very ill, Katniss." I don't make her explain. I won't make her say the word. Dying.

I promised Madge, that, during reflection, I would go with her to see her mother. I now walk back towards our compartment. I pull the apple that I snuck out from my sleeve as I walk in. Toaka is already by the window. I open the small opening and slide the apple out to her. I've been doing this for a while, but I really should stop. If I am caught, Toaka will be shot. As was the deal to keeping her. Peeta steps out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from his shower, towel around his waist.

"Did you see it?" he asks me.

"See what?" I ask confused. He walks over to me and turns me towards out bed. I can feel tears brimming when I see the bright, tall sunflower sitting near it. I turn back to Peeta. "Do you think he'll be okay, Peeta?" I ask quietly. I feel his arms encircle my waist and his head rest on my shoulder.

"Of course he will be, Katniss." he says. "Thirteen has amazing doctors, including your mother. Plus, he was well enough to get here on foot. He'll be fine." Peeta's words comfort me, but the subject is too much for me right now. I try and change the subject.

With a smile, I lightly push his head off of my shoulder.

"You're getting me all wet." I say with a small laugh. He laughs with me, shaking his wet hair and splattering me with droplets of water.

"Quit it!" I exclaim, still laughing. He embraces me again, his body still dripping wet. While trying to avoid Peeta's wet body, I trip on the foot of the bed, and the two of us fall onto it, Peeta on top of me. We're both still laughing, and we don't notice the door creak open.

When I notice her, Madge's face is bright red.

"I-I'm sorry." she stammers out. "I came to get Katniss…"

"Oh!" I exclaim, sliding out from under Peeta. I almost forgot about Madge. I say goodbye to Peeta and follow Madge down the narrow halls. All I can think about is how Madge's mother is the sister of Maysilee Donner. The sister of my mockingjay's original owner. I've never really known Madge's mother, but for some reason, I can't bear the thought of her dying.

_**Okay so it was a bit short, but I promise next time it will be better. And, based on past experience, things happen. So, I can't promise when I'll update. However, it will be as soon as possible. I'll try to update both of my stories next time to. Please don't hate me!**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**Okay, so I must be the most hated writer in the world right now. I'm sorry, but there's one thing in my way. Finals Preparations. It's been sheer torture. Anyways, the point is that I'm back now. Again I apologize, but I'm here now.**_

_**Chapter 35:**_

_**Katniss's POV**_

"What do you mean? Why can't we see her?" Madge shouts at the Guard. Upon arriving at the hospital ward, We were promptly told that under, no circumstances, would we be allowed into see Madge's mother.

"I'm sorry." the guard stammers for probably the thirteenth time. "Those are my orders. I know nothing else about it." the guard is stammering and is visibly flustered. He is used to being treated as an authority figure, and Madge's blunt anger is new to him. My own anger is beginning to build.

I place a hand on Madge's shoulder, which is still shaking with rage and desperation. She turns to me, tears beginning to stream down her face. She opens her mouth to say something, shuts it, and just ends up burying her face in the shoulder of my dull district uniform. I gently nudge her behind me, my own anger continuing to build. I step up to the guard and cross my arms.

"How is that all you know about this?" I demand. "Surely you have some idea as to what's going on in there." I add, gesturing at Mrs. Undersee's door with my head.

Recognition flashes across the eyes of the stammering guard. My status as the Mockingjay must make us worthy for this information in his mind, because he speaks again.

"Mrs. Undersee has reached a critical state." he says. "I don't know what your extent of the knowledge regarding your mother's condition is," he says to Madge," but the treatment they gave her in the capitol has caused her throat to begin swelling along with general illness. Her throat has reached a point to where her airway is cut off. They are performing emergency surgery now." he continues. "I'm sorry, but that is the full extent of my knowledge."

Madge can't hold back her tears any longer, and they begin gushing from her eyes. She begins to speak through her sobs and her words are just barely understandable.

"But she'll be okay won't she?" Madge asks the guard. After this, the sobbing becomes to much, and she gives up speaking. I allow her to bury her face back into my shoulder as I address the silent guard.

"Well?" I ask. He looks at his boots for a bit before speaking.

"To the extent of my knowledge…Things look bad." he says. "they didn't catch the swelling soon enough, and…" he can't find the words to continue.

Understanding his meaning, I lead Madge back to the small waiting room of the hospital ward. Once she's settled in a chair, her sobbing seams to settle a bit.

"Oh, Katniss." she says between sobs. For a bit, we just sit there. Madge sobbing, and me, waiting until she's cried herself out.

Almost immediately after Madge seems to have calmed down, I hear a voice that I haven't heard in a while.

"Katniss?" my head snaps up, and I scan the room for the source of the voice. He's standing at the entrance to a hallway, his long auburn hair sticking up at odd angles suggests he's been lying down.

"Spade!" I exclaim. He walks over to join us, and extends a hand to Madge.

"I'm spade." he greets simply. Still a bit shaken, Madge looks up at the offered hand. She considers it for a bit before she takes it in her own.

"Madge." she manages to get out. Spade slumps down in a chair across from us. Before any of us can speak, I remember something. I'm on my feet and I tell Madge and Spade to stay put. I dash back to our compartment as fast as I can. Thankfully, it's on the same floor as the hospital ward.

Peeta isn't home, but this is standard since he usually meets with his family during reflection. I run to the window, open it up, and call out the wolf's name. Toaka is at the window a few seconds later, and does not resist when I pull her through the window. I stick my head out of the door, making sure that there are no guards, and when the coast is clear, I dash back to the ward with Toaka in hand.

Once there, the woman at the front desk stops me. She lets me through once I've explained the situation to her, on the promise that the wolf will go back outside as soon as we're done.

Spade's face beams at the sight of the snow white wolf. Toaka too, also begins wriggling in my arms at the sight of her friend. I release her, and she bound off towards Spade. As the two have their happy reunion, I notice that this is the first time that I've seen Spade without his bizarre costume. The hospital gown isn't exactly normal, but for the first time, his face is uncovered, reveling features that show that he can't be much older than me.

The characteristic that stands out to me the most, is his eye color. Blue, with odd golden flecks. I can't quite place it, but I know that this is not the first time that I have seen such an eye coloring. Where have I seen it before? I can't place the color to another face at the moment, but I let it go for now.

Madge seems entranced by Toaka. She reaches out a tentative hand towards the wolf, but then decides against it. Spade takes notice. He smiles at Madge.

"She won't bite you." he reassures. Seeming a bit calmer, Madge reaches back out to the wolf. Upon feeling her hand, Toaka turns her head towards Madge. Madge Begins scratching behind Toaka's ear, causing the wolf to close her eyes in happiness. Madge laughs, and I remember that this was Spade's job. Cheering up saddened rebels and the poor on the streets of the capitol. Spade doesn't need that costume to do his job.

Madge's laughter is cut off. The alarms have begun to ring and the lights blacken out. The emergency lights that line the hallways turn on, giving the room an ominous feeling to it. Coin's Voice crackles over the speakers.

"Attention, District Thirteen," she begins, "I regret to inform you that the district has been infiltrated. As you can see, the power has been cut. Our outer guards were found dead and we have no information on where these people are, or how many of them are here. Please, report to your compartments and bolt your doors. People will be expected to welcome hospital patients into there compartments. I will inform you of when it is safe to return to your daily activities."

The static comes back, announcing the end of her alert. We are all on our feet.

"Spade, You can come back to our compartment." I tell him. He nods. I hug Madge and tell her to be careful, and the three of us run through the halls, Madge turning to go to her own compartment.

As we dash down the hall, I almost run into Blaire.

"Blaire!" I gasp out. "Why aren't you at your compartment?"

"I was wandering the halls…" She says, a bit shaken.

Before she can finish, I grab her hand and drag her with us.

When we arrive at our compartment. I call out to Peeta.

"Peeta!" I call. I look around and then I realize that he's with his family still and most likely won't be back until after this is over.

Blaire and Spade sit on the small bench that sits by the door, and Toaka paces on the floor.

I'm about to speak, when I notice something. Seeing them side by side. Spade's auburn hair is definitely not the same as Blaire's raven black, but their eyes…

"Spade…?" I start. But I stop myself. Surely it's nothing. What we have to do now, is wait this emergency out.

_**Ahh a bit short. Please Don't hate me **__**L**__** with my life right now, it's hard to find time to write. I'm trying though don't you worry. REVIEW**_


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